Finding Lost Dreams
by Kuro Mitsu
Summary: Sora's in love with his best friend Riku, but when everyone finds out he's left nearly all alone. After an attack, will he ever let anyone close again? AU, RikuSora, yaoi, co-written with Sephirothlover845 *New AN in epilogue*
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters, and make no money from this story.

**AN:** So, I'm back with another story! I'm still working on the next chapter of 'Happy Surprises', but I've had the idea for this story for so long that I had to write it. It was actually an original fic, but I decided to change it to a KH story. Hope you like it!

This is being co-written with Sephirothlover845; updates will be about every two weeks unless something comes up. Constructive criticism welcome, but no flames please. This will be boy/boy, so if you don't like it then back click and leave.

**Finding Lost Dreams**

**Chapter 1**

Sora Banford walked along the hot pavement, his ocean-blue eyes bright in the warm late May sunshine. Wispy chocolate-brown hair blew in the slight breeze, his bangs ruffling just above his eyebrows. His dark blue backpack slung over one shoulder, he was on his way home from school. Not that he was all that eager to get home; there would be no one there at this time of day. He lived with his father, Max Banford, one of Point Destiny's leading defense attorneys. Sora had never known his mother. She'd left when Sora had been a baby, wanting to explore the world; once she left, she'd never looked back, never sparing her husband and infant son another thought.

Everyone in his family told him he looked just like her and nothing like his father, who had midnight black hair, medium tanned skin and dark eyes, courtesy of his great-grandmother's Greek heritage. All he knew was when his father said that, Sora would notice a faint sneer in his tone and a thinly disguised hatred in his dark brown eyes. Max had never really wanted to get tied down at such a young age, but being a twenty-three-year-old law student in his last semester (he'd graduated high school at sixteen) and finding out he'd knocked up his nineteen-year-old girlfriend, well, he'd done the honorable thing and married her. Unfortunately, she'd been of the same mind, and less than a year after their son was born, she was gone. Max was still angry with her for just up and leaving him with a young child, no note or goodbye. Every trace of her in his home had been destroyed, and he'd basically ordered his two younger brothers and mother to never mention her again.

To be honest, Sora never really thought about his mother anymore. Sure, like any child would be, he'd been curious about the woman who'd given birth to him, and when he was twelve, he'd located her (she was living in Las Vegas with her newest boyfriend) and had written her a letter. He would've called her, but there was no known phone number, and being only twelve, he couldn't visit her; his father would've had a meltdown if he'd known Sora had sought out and contacted _that woman_. He'd waited eagerly, like a kid on Christmas Eve, for a reply. Only to be sorely disappointed when his own letter was returned to him with the words 'Return to Sender' written boldly on the front of the envelope. Writing another letter, hoping that this time she would at least open it, again he waited. He never saw it again.

Still, for almost six months he prayed for some type of response. He had written his address on the note, so she knew where he lived; his father had moved them into their spacious home after making partner in a very prestigious law firm only five years after she'd left. Then, just when he figured he'd never hear from her, he received a letter. His heart had pounded with happiness as he clutched that worn envelope in his hand, running to his room to read it in private. But once again, he was disappointed. It was short and to the point: she had a new life, even a new child, and he didn't fit into it. She expressed her desire to be left alone, and that's exactly what he did.

So, four years later, being sixteen, Sora never really gave the woman another thought. Some of his friends had asked him how he could just brush off not caring about his mother, but he had just smiled and changed the subject. None of his friends could possibly understand, so he didn't try to explain. Not that it mattered now anyway; those 'friends' had quickly turned their backs on him as soon as they'd found out he was gay.

It was quite by accident that his most guarded secret was revealed. He'd been talking on his cellphone with his best friend Kairi, a half-American half-Japanese Army brat who'd moved near his father's spatial estate a little over two years ago. She was the only one who knew he was gay, and he'd trusted her not to tell anyone. She had kept her vow to never tell, but as they'd been talking on their phones, her older sister Kyla, who absolutely detested Sora, had overheard their conversation. Kairi had been pressuring Sora to confess his feelings for his other best friend, Riku Reardon. Sora and Riku had known each other since they were young children, Riku being older by a year, and Sora had developed feelings more than friendship for Riku a few years ago. Kairi had been the only one he'd told, and she'd accepted, even supported him, and thought that he should let Riku know how he felt.

Riku was everything Sora dreamed of: handsome, funny and sweet. Riku had long silver hair, with light aquamarine eyes that were almost green in color. He stood at six feet one inches, with a nicely muscled body and slight tan. Being one of the school's top football players, Riku was also one of the most popular kids. Sora had never really been all that popular, feeling like an outcast most of the time. He knew if it weren't for Riku most of those same kids wouldn't have given him a second glance. There were a few who treated him like a real friend, but most tolerated him because he was Riku's friend. Sora had been in love with Riku for a long time, and he always thought that even if Riku didn't return his feelings they would still be best friends; he was soon proven wrong on how strong their bond was.

The second that Kyla informed what seemed the whole school that Sora was gay and in love with Riku, pretty much everyone turned their backs on him. Kairi was practically the only one who talked to him now. And Riku had flatly refused to talk to him, his once-warm eyes now distant as they looked at the brunet. Riku's reaction hurt worse than anything else his so-called friends did. Being called a fag and shoved to the ground by Saix and Demyx, two of Riku's friends, while Riku just stood there, doing nothing, was for Sora devastating.

Shunned by his former friends and most of his classmates, Sora now dreaded school. As he walked up the long drive to unlock the front door of his father's large two-story mansion, the only thing he was glad for was the fact that school ended for summer vacation in one week, and he was free from the teasing and bullying for a glorious three months. He had two years of school left until he graduated, and he was looking forward to finally getting away from his tormentors and beginning college. He and Kairi were planning to apply to the same college, along with Kairi's boyfriend Tidus, Demyx's little brother. Fortunately Tidus wasn't anything like his older sibling; he was one of the few people at school who still talked to Sora. Like Kairi, he'd told Sora he didn't care that he was gay and still considered him his friend.

Dropping his backpack onto the table beside the door, Sora wandered into the living room, plopping down on the beige leather sectional in front of the new 42" flat screen T.V. his father had recently gotten. He propped his feet on the glass-topped coffee table, and proceeded to surf through the channels. He'd just found a station with a program that looked interesting when he heard a car pull up. Looking at the clock and seeing it was only a little after four, knowing it was too early for his father to be off work as Max usually didn't arrive home until somewhere around seven, Sora got up to see who it was. His stomach churned with unease when he recognized his father's friend Xemnas. Xemnas Deveroux was a defense attorney, just like Max; younger by six years, the two of them worked at the same firm. Xemnas was nearly as successful as Max, and they had hit it off when they'd met a few years ago when Xemnas was given an office next to the other man's.

Watching the tall white-haired man get out of his car and make his way to the door, Sora wished his father were home right now. Even though his father rarely spent any time with his son, or even had a kind word to say to him, Sora felt _anyone_ would be welcome, rather than be alone with Xemnas.

Ever since Sora had come home after his schoolmates had found out he was gay and told Max about what happened (not that his father had really cared), not realizing his father had company, he'd been getting weird vibes from Xemnas. The older man would stare at him with his piercing gold eyes, and the look in them made Sora uncomfortable. And Xemnas was always finding excuses to touch him; either by simply brushing against him when he'd walk by, or lingering handshakes when the brunet would leave. Sora hated the way the older man would hold onto his hand longer than necessary, often trailing his fingers along Sora's wrist to his arm. He'd never told his father, figuring Max most likely wouldn't believe him.

Opening the door after hearing Xemnas ring the bell, Sora stood looking up at the much taller man. He'd apparently gotten his mother's height as well as her looks, standing at only five feet seven inches. Xemnas, at six feet three inches tall, towered over him, and Sora stared up at him, hating how much smaller he felt.

Ushering Xemnas inside, Sora closed the door and followed him into the living room. "Your father asked me to pick up some papers for him," Xemnas told him in his cool, precise tone. Dark golden eyes watched predatorily as Sora sat back down on the couch, ignoring his presence. Xemnas strode into Max's study, retrieving said papers, then walked back into the living room. He stood in the doorway, his posture cocky. Sora could feel his gaze rake over him, making him nervous. All he wanted was for the pale-haired man to leave; he hated having the older man near him, a shiver of distaste slithering down his spine.

Sensing Sora's discomfort, Xemnas smirked and sauntered to the front door, closing the portal gently behind him as he took his car keys out of his pocket. He planned to get to know the teen a lot better very soon, and he chuckled to himself as he started the car and drove away, mentally licking his lips at the thought.

Letting out a sigh of relief at Xemnas's departure, Sora went back to channel surfing. God how he loathed the slimy lawyer! Shuddering, he decided to get himself a snack, and walked into the elegant kitchen his father had had specially designed. The cabinets were solid oak, with shiny chrome handles. The center island was also oak, and like the countertops, had a dark grey granite top that matched the marble floor. The appliances were all stainless steel, energy-efficient and gave a streamlined look to the room. His father had spared no expense on the kitchen, as well as the rest of the house; he'd wanted the absolute best money could buy. Sora sat at the long bar running along the left side of the room, pulling out one of the tall barstools. He grabbed an apple out of the bowl in front of him, munching quietly as he checked his phone for any messages from Kairi. He didn't expect any from his father, nor did he receive any; his father rarely even talked to him, much less took the time to call him.

Not seeing any texts or messages on his voicemail, Sora tucked his phone away and chucked the apple core into the garbage can when he was finished eating it. He made his way back to the couch, settling down to watch a _That 70's Show _marathon on T.V.

A few hours later, he turned the television off and ambled upstairs to his bedroom. He noted that it was after 10 p.m. and his father still wasn't home. _'Must've had a late meeting or something,'_ he thought to himself. It's not like Max hadn't been late before and neglected to inform his son; Sora had gotten used to it now. He undressed and slipped on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, then crawled into bed. Only two more days 'til the weekend, and then he just had to bear through three more and he was free for the summer. He couldn't wait.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters, and make no money from this story.

**AN: **So here's chapter 2, it's a little earlier than planned, but Grey and I got it finished faster than expected, so I decided to go ahead and post it. She wrote 95% of the second part of this chapter with Seph and Cloud, so a big thank you to her! (She's awesome!) Expect updates every two weeks on Saturday.

**Chapter 2**

Riku hated riding the bus. It was so annoying to him to be hassled by the girls wanting to sit next to him, or his friends vying for his attention. If his house wasn't so far away from the school he'd simply walk. Normally he'd drive to school, but his car was in the shop, getting some repairs done to the engine. Yeah, his father had been happy about _that_.

Choosing to sit next to one of the bus's windows, Riku ignored all the noise around him and looked out the glass. A pang hit him as he noticed Sora walking on the sidewalk. The small brunet looked so lonely, his pace slow as he trudged home. Riku missed his friend; he talked to Sora about everything, and it was hard not having him around. Sometimes the teen hated his popularity. When everyone had found out that Sora was gay, they all treated him like garbage, and expected Riku to do the same. He hadn't wanted to lose his friends or be an outcast, so he'd turned his back on Sora. He could still remember the hurt look in cerulean eyes when Saix and Demyx had called him names and pushed him around.

Lost in thought, Riku almost missed his stop. Getting up quickly, he made his way towards the front of the bus and stepped onto the gravel of his front driveway, slinging his book bag over his shoulder. His father's car was in the drive; he must have gotten off work early. It was only 3:30, and his father was usually home around five. Sephiroth Reardon was a business accountant in a large tax firm. He didn't really enjoy his work per se, but it was damn good money, and he wanted to make sure he could provide well for his children. Ever since his wife had died in a car accident when their youngest child had been three, he'd had the sole responsibility of taking care of his kids. He was still pretty young, being only thirty-five; he'd been seventeen when Maura had told him she was pregnant with Riku - to which they had promptly gotten married - and eighteen when Riku was born.

Of Sephiroth's children, Riku was the oldest at seventeen. He was almost a carbon copy of his father, with his silver hair and aqua eyes. Zexion was younger by a little more than a year. His hair was the same bright shade as Sephiroth's and Riku's, but short with long bangs falling to his chin and partially covering the right side of his face. Fujin, or Fuu as she was nicknamed, was fourteen. She, like her brothers and father, had silver hair which reached her shoulders. It was styled in the opposite direction as Zexion's, falling over the left side of her face. Unlike her brothers, she had whiskey-brown eyes just like their mother.

Silver hair seemed to be the dominant color in the family. Sephiroth's brother Vexen had ash-blond hair and green eyes, but both men looked almost identical in looks. Vexen's three sons Kadaj, Loz and Yazoo all had silver hair; it was passed from Sephiroth's and Vexen's mother, who was a renowned beauty, especially in her younger days.

Walking into his house, Riku saw his father talking on the phone. His brother and sister weren't home yet, as Zexion was over at his best friend Marluxia's house. Fuu went to middle school (she started high school next year; she was so excited to finally be going to the same school as her brothers), and her bus wouldn't drop her off until nearly four. The teen went into his room to put his book bag away, then made his way back into the living room. He sat on the black leather couch and picked up the remote, turning it on to a music station. He caught a snippet of his father's conversation, "I know, I'll see you later tonight. I love you too, bye." Hanging up the phone, Sephiroth turned and saw Riku's raised eyebrow. "What?" the older male said in a haughty tone.

"Nothing," Riku smirked. Sephiroth strode away, mumbling under his breath as Riku laughed quietly. Riku was still smiling as his father left the house half an hour later.

** x**

Sephiroth sighed contently as he pulled his smaller lover closer, cuddling the small naked form tighter and pressing a sweet kiss to the blond's sweaty brow. He loved these moments, after a session of hot, sweaty, and passionate sex. He loved and cherished getting to cuddle up with his secret lover, holding and caressing his slim, athletic body.

Sephiroth had met Cloud two and a half years ago at the annual Christmas party the office held. Cloud had just started working as one of the manager's secretary, and he and Sephiroth hadn't been properly introduced to each other yet. But the blond truly believed in love at first sight, as he'd felt his heart skip a beat when he'd met the shining emerald eyes of the stunning silver-haired man. The same could be said for Sephiroth, who'd had a similar reaction when he came face-to-face with the shorter, lithe blond. He hadn't felt like that for anyone except his wife, who had been his childhood sweetheart and first love.

Tifa, who had pulled Cloud over and was presently hanging onto the blond's arm, never noticed the looks passing between the two men. She'd stumbled off a few minutes later, obviously having drunk too much of the spiked eggnog. After being left to themselves, Sephiroth and Cloud had talked for hours until the party wound down, and before leaving had exchanged numbers. They'd been together ever since.

Cloud smiled and looked up at his lover, pressing a kiss to his chin before settling back down, curling up next to Sephiroth. Forgetting about the world, because when they were together nothing else mattered, just them. Discrimination, age, differences, they were all buried deep in their hearts and brains; it was like a silent pact, 'Don't talk, or think about the outside world while we are together.' And they stuck to it, never worrying about getting caught, just living in the moment.

They had been together for so long now, two long years. And the passion hadn't died out, not even a bit. They still lusted and loved each other every bit as they had two years ago when they first became lovers. Their love was like a never-ending flame, always burning brightly, never banishing.

But of course every relationship has arguments, and Cloud was not easy to let go. He didn't care how many times Sephiroth made love to him, it wasn't going to make him any less aggravated at the man. Sure he had let him take him, even though he had told them before they started that they should talk first. But now there was no avoiding it; he wanted answers and actions, and he was going to get them. He wasn't pushy or anything, he was just who he is, and he understood no relationship was perfect. He knew better than anyone, because he had a motto. _"The definition of perfection is: it doesn't exist." _He lived by it, day and night.

He hated how the girls in the office hit on Sephiroth, he hated how they blinked their huge, pouting eyes, and how they always stared at _his_ Sephiroth, licking their lips; and he especially hated how they always 'accidentally' bumped into him, or how they 'accidentally' brushed their hands a little too close to his groin for comfort. He hated them all, point blank. They were all demanding sluts, always wearing skirts a little too short, blouses a little too open, and shoes a little too high. There was a dress code, they just never seemed to notice, or didn't care. Probably the latter.

"You're going to burn a whole through your ceiling if you keep glaring at it like that," Sephiroth stated, rather amused. He was pretty sure he had an idea what was going through Cloud's head.

"Good, then maybe I can use my whole 'burning powers' to burn a whole through those office bitches," Cloud humphed. He was pissed off that they had to be a secret, but he didn't care. If it would make Sephiroth happy he would stand on top of the Empire State building with a microphone and announce to the world he was gay and happy.

Sephiroth chuckled, amused, and ruffled his little blond's hair. Cloud was a source of amusement for him; he knew how to bring a smile to his face with all his sarcastic words. "Hmm. Yes, and maybe you can burn a hole through Tifa's tits; those things are so big I'm afraid they might explode in my face one day," Sephiroth joked, getting a genuine laugh from Cloud.

"They just might, with the way she's always pushing them in your face," Cloud grumbled. That girl had a thing for pushing her tits in everyone's face.

"My face? Let's not forget the way she is always rubbing up on a certain spiky-headed blond."

"Yeah well, let's not forget we're not even a couple outside this bedroom, so why do you care?" Cloud humphed again, stubbornly.

Sephiroth sighed in frustration; they had this conversation every week, and frankly he was getting tired of it. "Don't start," Sephiroth warned, voice cold and frustrated.

Cloud's eyes hardened, and he jumped out of Sephiroth's embrace to straddle his thighs. He narrowed his eyes at his lover, and hissed out, "Don't fucking tell me to not start, I've dealt with this shit for far too long, and you know what? I'm tired of it; I'm not ashamed of loving you, Seph. But if you're going to be ashamed of having a 24-year-old boyfriend then I'll go find someone who's not. But I've had it! 2 years I've dealt with this shit, and you know what, I've dealt with it two years too long."

Sephiroth sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "Cloud, I've explained this to you a million times. My kids won't understand. I'm not ashamed of you, it's the opposite; and I don't care that I'm older than you, I love you. When you kiss and caress me, I don't want anybody else; for me there's no one else. If you leave me, there's no reason to live. I live for you and my kids, Cloud."

Cloud's eyes widened, and he felt the guilt hit him like a ton of bricks. Sephiroth was putting so much on the line for him, even if no one knew. Sephiroth's family had no idea, and if his kids were to find out and be disgusted or angry it would destroy the man.

"I'm sorry," Cloud mumbled simply, lowering himself back down and tucking up against _his_ man once again.

"It's ok, Cloud," Sephiroth answered. He knew how to deal with this, they did have this exact same argument every week - same words, same actions. Never went anywhere.

_****Note:** I know Jenova isn't Sephiroth's real mother, but for this story she's referenced as such; I wanted the white hair to be explained as a family trait, and seeing how Lucretia (his real mother from FF7) had brown hair Jenova was a better match.**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters, nor do I make any profit off this story.

**Warning: **Allusions to rape in this chapter.

**Chapter 3**

Rain was threatening to pour down any minute as Sora quickened his pace. He was on his way home from Kairi's house. He'd declined the offer of a ride from her mother, since it was only about a twenty minute walk, figuring he could make it home before the sky let loose. Sora was about halfway there when a sleek black car pulled up alongside him. He didn't really pay any mind to it until he heard his name called.

Glancing at the driver, he recognized Xemnas behind the wheel. "Need a ride?" the older man asked, tone cool. Sora was about to refuse when a loud peal of thunder sounded, causing the teen to jump.

"Come on, Sora, get in the car. You're going to get soaked in a minute," Xemnas chided, sunglasses hiding the way his eyes trailed over Sora's slender form.

Another crash of thunder, louder than the first, had Sora hurrying to the passenger side of the car. His dislike of Xemnas was pushed aside for the moment by his fear of the coming storm. Even as a child he'd always been scared of thunderstorms, a fact that Riku had once teased him unmercifully about. Throat tightening at the thought of his once-best friend, the brunet opened the car door and jumped in as more thunder rumbled ominously.

Sora slid into the leather seat, fastening his seatbelt as Xemnas pulled away from the curb and resumed driving. An awkward silence filled the interior as Sora nervously watched the scenery outside the window.

Xemnas turned into the driveway a few minutes later. Sora practically jumped out of the car, giving a quick, "Thanks for the ride," to him. He fished his house keys out of his pant's pocket and unlocked the front door, pausing on the threshold as he heard a car door close behind him. Turning, he saw Xemnas walking up the path to the door. "You don't mind if I wait until the storm passes, do you?" He gave the teen a patient stare as he stood on the doorstep. Gritting his teeth in annoyance, Sora opened the portal, casting a glance at the man behind him.

Seeing the questioning look directed his way, Xemnas ignored the brunet and sidled by him into the large foyer. Sighing under his breath, Sora closed the door and went into the living room. There, Xemnas was reclining back on the couch, leg crossed over his knee and arm stretched out along the back of the sofa, looking for all the world like he owned the place. Sora turned away from him to hide his grimace of displeasure and walked into the den, which was adjacent to the dining room. The sound of rain hitting the roof suddenly filled the room as the storm hit.

Settling down on the plush cream-colored loveseat, Sora picked up the remote to the T.V. in the corner and began flipping through channels. Normally he didn't like watching television in here, but he refused to sit by Xemnas and have the older man ogling him. Absorbed in trying to find something to watch, Sora never noticed when Xemnas quietly strode up behind him and stood looking down at the brunet teen from behind the small sofa.

Xemnas eyed the petite, tanned body of Sora appreciatively. He'd been waiting for a chance like this, to finally have the boy alone, for quite a while. He knew Max wouldn't be home for several more hours, and he'd decided that now was his chance. Smirking slightly, he moved until he was in Sora's line of sight.

_****Scene has been removed for content, to read the full chapter go to my account at Adultfanfiction under KuroMitsu.****_

Sora was huddled on the floor of his bathroom shower, the water from the spout beating down on his head. Xemnas had left the house almost two hours ago, a satisfied look about him as he glanced down at the broken teen lying on the floor. Sora had lain there for a while after hearing Xemnas let himself out of the house, then clutched his discarded clothes close to him and painfully made his way upstairs and into his bedroom, slowly crossing to his adjoined bathroom to crawl into the shower. His legs were pulled close to his chest, with his arms wrapped tightly around them. He was rocking back and forth, body shaking, his mind numb as the now-cool water pelted his body. His eyes were squeezed shut as he tried to block the memories of what had occurred earlier in the den.

Beginning to shiver, Sora pulled himself to his feet slowly, his body aching. He had bruises covering his hips and thighs, and finger-shaped bands of them circling his wrists; his lips were swollen and sore from Xemnas' forceful kisses. Sora turned the water off and stepped out of the shower stall, sobs wracking his small frame as he walked into his bedroom. Pain consumed him, not all of it physical, as he sat on the edge of his bed, uncaring that he was sopping wet.

Blue eyes gazed dully at the wall as Sora fought to suppress the images of Xemnas above him, holding him down, hot breath panting in his ear as he violated him. A strangled cry escaped Sora's lips; curling up on his mattress, he dragged the light blue comforter over himself and simply let the tears continue, too tired and hurt to care about anything.

Hearing his cellphone ring from downstairs, Sora didn't bother to check to see who could be calling. Right now he just wanted to forget everything in the last twenty-four hours.

x

'Hello, you have the right number at the wrong time, please leave a message!' Sora's cheerful voice recited.

Kairi Jacobs sighed in exasperation. If she had to listen to that voicemail message one more time she was going to hang herself. She had memorized the whole 'at the beep leave a message' thing. The redhead hated when people didn't pick up on her; it was frustrating to no end. She thought it was stupid; why would a person buy a cellphone if they weren't going to ever answer? Sora had always agreed with her, so somehow they usually made an unconscious effort to pick up each other's calls. But she'd been calling Sora's phone for the past several hours, and the brunette had yet to pick up. She frowned; it wasn't like Sora to ignore her calls. It seemed a bit unusual for the usually talkative brunet.

Trying again, Kairi tossed her own phone onto her bed after snapping it closed when all she got was Sora's voicemail _again_. Deciding to phone him later, Kairi figured if he still didn't answer, she'd just leave him a message; she wasn't in the mood to deal with anything right now.

Heading to the living room, Kairi sat on the sofa. Her parents were seated on the loveseat, cuddled up together. Kyla was in the large burgundy recliner, watching a movie on television. Kairi smiled at her parents; she found it cute that they still acted like a couple of lovesick teenagers after nearly twenty years of marriage.

"Are you alright, sweetie?" Kairi's mother asked. "Did you get a hold of Sora?"

Kairi shook her head. She'd been complaining about not getting a hold of him to her mother while her sister just rolled her eyes at her. "He's not picking up. I'll just leave him a message later," she said, tucking her feet under her.

Nodding, her parents continued with their quiet conversation as they sat together. Kairi went back to her room half an hour later, and when she only got Sora's voicemail again she left a message. "Hey Sora, call me when you get this. I won't be at school Monday, so I guess I'll see you on Tuesday. Bye!"

Placing the phone on her bedside table, Kairi again wondered why her friend wasn't answering his phone, then shrugged it off. _'He's probably taking a bath or something,' _she thought. Little did she know how accurate her guess was, but certainly not for reasons she would have thought.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters, nor do I make any money off this story.

**AN:**This chapter isn't all that long I know, but hopefully the next one will be much longer. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and favorited this story!

_Special thanks to Greyy, who is my co-author. She wrote most of the second part of this chapter, so yay for her! And also thanks to Chocoboshead, you and Greyy are great friends!**^_^**_

**Note: **The next chapter is most likely gonna be at least a week late. Greyy is going on vacation, and she won't have internet access, so I won't be able to talk to her until she comes back. **:(** But I've already got about half of chapter 5 done, and I'll be working on the next couple of chapters as well. So the next two updates should be posted close together.

**Chapter 4**

Sora flinched away slightly as one of his classmates wandered too close to him. He was sitting alone in his algebra class, Kairi's seat next to him empty. She hadn't shown up at school today, and Sora had yet to check his phone for messages. Not that it really mattered about missing class, since there were only two more days until school ended.

In a way he was glad his friend wasn't there; she would know immediately that something was wrong with him. They'd always been affectionate with each other, but Sora didn't think he could take any kind of physical touch from anyone. They were supposed to hang out after school today at the beach, but the brunet couldn't handle being around a lot of people right now. So he was relieved that Kairi was absent; at least this way he wouldn't have to explain why he didn't want to go.

Sora pulled the sleeves of his sweatshirt down over his wrists, hiding the dark bruises; it had been only two days since the attack, and the marks hadn't even begun to fade. No matter how long he stayed in the shower, or scrubbed his body with as much soap and blistering hot water as he could stand, his body still felt dirty. He hated feeling this way; he just wanted his life, even bullied and ignored as he'd been, back to the way it was.

Clutching his books closer to his chest, as if in protection, Sora only half-listened to the drone of the teacher's voice. Eying the clock, he waited impatiently for the bell to ring, wanting nothing more than to run and hide from the world.

Riku surreptitiously watched Sora out of the corner of his eye. He knew something was up with the smaller teen; he'd seen how Sora cringed away from anyone coming even minutely close to him, seeming to shrink into himself. He frowned, pondering what could have happened to the smaller boy to make him so jumpy and distrustful. His aqua eyes strayed to Sora's arms, noting how the brunet kept pulling the ends of his sleeves over his hands as if trying to hide something.

Keeping his covert surveillance on Sora, Riku felt shame cover him once more. He felt horrible about the way he'd been treating his friend; deep down, he knew that if their roles had been reversed, that Sora wouldn't have just abandoned him to the wolves, as it were. Sure, he'd been surprised to learn that his best friend had kept such a big secret from him, and he would admit that he'd been a little freaked out about how far Sora's feelings for him ran, but Sora had always been there for Riku, and when he'd needed Riku the most, he'd let him down.

A voice full of disdain broke the silver-haired teen out of his thoughts. "Hey Riku, looks like your fag friend is all alone without his little bodyguard," Saix sneered. He hated Kairi almost as much as he hated Sora, as she'd had the audacity to punch him square in the nose once for picking on Sora. Saix had been made fun of for that for weeks.

"Why don't you guys leave him alone?" Riku demanded, now furious. He was way too worried about Sora, and listening to Saix and his crude jokes about Sora pissed him off. He hated this feeling, the feeling that something was wrong with the younger brunet, but he could do nothing about it. All because he had abandoned Sora at a time where he'd needed support. But he was going to try to fix that, starting now.

"What the hell, Riku! What's wrong with you, you usually live for these moments," Saix growled, suspicious.

"Yeah Riku, you're not feeling bad for the fag, are you?" Demyx teased.

"Shut up!" Riku retorted, glaring at the two boys. "I'm tired of hearing you calling him names and laughing at him; just leave him the fuck alone!" Riku was almost shouting by this time, not caring if everyone turned on him like they had Sora. The silver-haired teen couldn't remember ever feeling this angry before. To be honest, he didn't really know what he felt for the petite brunet. His guilt intensified when he noticed Sora had silently slipped out of the classroom without him noticing. _'Damn it!' _he cursed to himself.

Demyx and Saix just raised their eyebrows and looked at each other, now ignoring the silver-haired teen and whispering to each other. Riku knew they were talking about him, but he didn't care anymore. The teacher came into the room, and Riku absently listened to what she was saying, not really paying attention as he fought not to get up and go search for Sora. Tidus, sitting a few desks away from his twin Demyx, had an eyebrow raised in shock at Riku's outburst. He pulled his phone out discreetly, and sent a text to his girlfriend Kairi about what had just happened.

Sora kept his face averted away from the rest of his classmates. Tears welled up in his eyes at the hurtful words. Saix and Demyx knew he'd overheard them; then again, it's not like they were trying to talk quietly, either. Sora got up and simply walked out of the classroom, heading straight for the entry doors of the school.

Stepping out into the bright afternoon sunlight, the brunet began walking home. He never heard how Riku actually defended him.

Entering his house almost half an hour later, Sora made sure the door was locked behind him and walked hurriedly past the den on his left; he'd not been able to even look at the room. He didn't think he could ever go near that room again. Making his way upstairs, he went into his bedroom at the end of the hallway, slinging his book bag onto the computer chair in the corner.

Grabbing his laptop from the top of the desk, Sora turned it on and began a search of medical clinics. Even though he didn't want to even think about what Xemnas had done to him, a fear nagged at the back of his mind due to a topic in his book for health class, something that hadn't even entered his mind at first. What if he'd gotten some type of sexually transmitted disease, or worse, HIV/AIDS?

Sora had never known anyone who'd been raped, but he had heard plenty. He's never believed anything like that could happen to him. For one, he's a male. No guy ever believes that something horrible like that could happen to them. He'd always thought rape happened to girls. And he'd lived a sheltered life, no true violence had ever been inflicted on him, even as alone and bullied as he was. He shuddered as he remembered the sight of Xemnas' face twisted in sick pleasure. Closing his eyes against the unwelcome sight, he forced the memories of that day out of his mind.

Sora knew that Xemnas was no virgin, so who knew what kind of ungodly diseases that man was carrying around? If Xemnas did have any kind of STD then Sora needed to find out if he'd contracted anything. Which brought him back to his fear of having gotten something from that bastard. He didn't want to get sick or die, not now; he was too young. There was still so much he would love to do in life. A brief flash of Riku's face popped in his head, but Sora quickly shook it away. All of that was beside the point; he was going to get tested because there was no way in hell he was going to live with the worry and doubt of whether or not he was infected with some disease because of what Xemnas had done to him.

After doing his search, he came across a clinic only a short distance from his home. The information stated that they did free blood tests for teens as well as adults; he was a bit relieved at that, as he wasn't about to ask for money to pay for a test and have to tell his father of this. Max would most likely either not believe a word Sora said, or blame his son for what had happened.

Writing down the address of the clinic, Sora folded the paper and laid it on his dresser, shutting the laptop off and setting it aside. He would go in the morning; since tomorrow was only a half-day of school, and the last day, he'd just skip it altogether.

Dragging a straight-backed chair and wedging it under his doorknob so the door couldn't be opened - he had the fear that Xemnas would be back, and so had begun locking his door and blocking it so no one could enter - Sora lay down on his bed and simply let his mind go blank, not wanting to think about what he might find out at the doctor's tomorrow. He heard his phone ring but made no move to answer it, letting his voicemail pick up as he tried to go to sleep.

_****Ok, I wanted to add in the part about Sora going to get tested for any STD's. I've had two friends who were raped, and one of them told me she never even thought about anything like this. Luckily she never got anything, since she didn't even get tested for HIV until she got married. And personally, if something like this happened to me I'd want to find out as soon as possible.****_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters, nor do I make any money off this story.

**AN:** Sooo sorry for the wait! But Greyy's back from vacation, and we both finished the chapter. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and favorited this story!

Thanks go to Greyy (Sephirothlover845), my co-author, who wrote the majority of the Seph/Cloud part. You rock!^_^

**Chapter 5**

Headphones covering his ears, Riku sat on his bed, going through some of his old photos that he'd come across in a box in his closet. His breath hitched when he caught sight of a picture of himself standing next to a smiling Sora. It had been taken at their favorite spot at the beach, in front of a small seaside hut, last summer. Palm trees stood to either side of the hut's door, and grime-covered windows dully reflected the sun's rays.

Sora was in a light blue shirt and red shorts, his tanned skin in contrast with Riku's much paler skin; Riku had been shirtless, wearing only a pair of white shorts. Riku was grinning in the photo, his left arm wrapped around the smaller boy's shoulders. He remembered that day so clearly; Sora had been playing in the surf, and Riku had decided to join him. Kairi had been sitting on the beach, laughing at their antics and cheering them on. She'd been the one to take the picture. Riku sighed sadly as he put the photo away. He'd really made a mess of things.

A knock at his door broke him out of his reverie. Riku removed the headphones, placing them around his neck so he could hear better. A silver head poked inside the door. "Hey, dad wants to talk to you," it was Zexion, his younger brother. Riku couldn't help but notice the chilly tone of his brother's voice. Ever since he'd stopped being friends with Sora, Zexion had been cold towards him.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you so mad at me?" Riku demanded. Zexion gave him a disdainful look, turning his nose up at the older teen.

"I think it's fucking shitty how you're treating Sora! He's supposed to be your best friend, and no matter what you should stick up for him. He was always by your side, defending you, but the first time he's not what everyone thinks is _right_, you dump him like yesterday's trash." Zexion had always liked Sora; sometimes it had annoyed Riku to no end. And by his angry tirade, he obviously didn't know that Riku was planning to set his friendship right. After all, it's not like he'd told anyone yet.

Riku was about to say that exact thing, when his brother stopped him. "Would you do the same to me if I said I liked a boy?" Riku's head shot up at the question. Zexion didn't give him a chance to reply; he stomped off down the hallway to his own room, shutting the door loudly. Fuu stuck her head out of her room, which was directly across from Riku's. "What's his problem?" she asked, nodding towards Zexion's door. Riku shrugged, getting off his bed and placing the headphones down as he went to see what his father wanted.

Walking downstairs, the teen wandered into the living room, catching sight of Sephiroth sitting on the couch, screening his messages on his cellphone. Riku stood in front of his father, "You wanted to talk to me, Dad?" Bright green eyes, so like his own, met his.

"Yes, I just wanted to let you know that I will be out late tonight; I need you to watch your sister." Riku shrugged, plopping onto the recliner opposite his father. He gazed at Sephiroth skeptically, a small grin playing about his mouth. "You goin' on a date?" he questioned, laughing lightly at the perturbed glare he received.

Giving a noncommittal grunt, Sephiroth stood and proceeded to retrieve a dark gray blazer from the closet next to the front door. He was taking Cloud to a restaurant for dinner, so he was dressed in a nice pair of pressed charcoal slacks, a pristine white button-up shirt tucked into them. He'd forgone a tie, as the restaurant had a casual air about it. His long silver hair was tied back, held by a thin black rubber band. Ignoring his now smirking son, Sephiroth pulled some money from his wallet and laid it on the coffee table, "Here's some cash for pizza or takeout," then opened the front door and walked to his car, his shoes clicking on the pavement of the brick walkway.

Settling into the driver's seat of his champagne-colored 2007 Nissan Altima, Sephiroth fastened his seatbelt and cranked the quiet car, putting it in gear and driving to the restaurant. It was nestled in the busy side of town, with a more upscale nightclub less than a block away. Sephiroth planned to take Cloud to the club after their meal, then take his sexy little blond to his apartment and spend all night in bed with him. He had no intention of _sleeping_.

Pulling up in front of the restaurant, Sephiroth turned off his car. Exiting his vehicle, his emerald eyes scanned the interior through the large plate-glass window, immediately catching sight of bright blond hair. A smile tugging at his lips, he entered the building, walking to the table Cloud was seated at and sitting down after a light kiss to the younger man's cheek.

Blue eyes stared at Sephiroth in shock; the silver-haired man never showed affection of any kind in public. "What put you in such a good mood?" Cloud asked, studying the handsome face of his lover.

Sephiroth gave a slight smirk. "Just thinking about later tonight." He chuckled when a bright blush covered Cloud's tanned cheeks. He picked up a menu, Cloud doing the same, and both men looked over them to decide what to order.

** x**

Riku flipped through television stations, waiting for the pizza he'd ordered to arrive. His cellphone rang a few times, but when he saw the caller I.D. said it was Saix, he ignored the calls. He'd meant what he said at school, and he wouldn't let them pick on the small brunette anymore. All he wanted right now was to get his friends back, as he wanted to mend his relationship with Kairi as well. He only hoped it wasn't too late.

The silver-haired teen pondered who his father was seeing. He knew Sepiroth was in a relationship; he was always on the phone, and every weekend he was usually gone all Saturday night. Of course, hearing his father tell the mysterious person 'I love you' cinched it. Riku smiled. He hoped his father was happy, as he'd been sad and depressed for a long time after his mother died.

The doorbell rang, and Riku grabbed a twenty to pay for the pizza. Handing the deliveryman the money, he carried the hot box into the living room and set it down on the coffee table. "Zex, Fuu, pizza!" The sound of running and stomping feet heralded the arrival of his brother and sister.

Fetching some plates and napkins from the kitchen, Fuu passed one each to Riku and Zexion. Zexion took his plate of food and went back upstairs to his room, not saying a word. Fuu sat next to Riku on the couch, an exasperated look on her face. "Is he still not talking to you?" she questioned, mouth full of pizza. Riku grimaced at the sight, but nodded. "He'll get over it."

They both ate silently, watching T.V.

After finishing his meal, Riku pulled his cellphone out and toyed with the idea of calling Sora. He was a bit nervous about doing that, as he wasn't even sure Sora would answer, or if he did, just not hang up on the older teen altogether. Fuu watched him, knowing what was bothering her big brother. Woman's intuition. "You know, you should just go ahead and call Sora; he'd probably love to finally talk to you again."

Riku arched a brow at her, a slight smile settling on his lips. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was already after nine p.m. He fought an inner battle with himself on whether it was too late to call. He decided to wait until the morning to try, and a small part of his brain sighed in relief. He truly did want to be friends with Sora again, but Riku was also a little scared that maybe Sora wouldn't want to have anything to do with him. Even knowing that he'd deserve it, it still made Riku anxious about the brunet's reaction.

Putting his phone away, Riku headed upstairs to his room and private bathroom to take a shower and get ready for bed. He felt lighter now than he had in months, smiling to himself as he pictured Sora's beaming smile in his mind. How he'd missed that smile.

** x**

Cloud smiled, cuddling up to _his_ man. Happy to finally be spending some one on one time with him again. He wasn't going to lie, these moments with Sephiroth made everything worthwhile, all the hiding and secrets. It made him think that maybe one day they could move from this. From having to hide this love, well, from him trying to hide his love. Because Cloud knew he had NO problem with it, if Sephiroth asked him he would scream it on national television that he was a 'fag in love'. Being gay had never bothered him, not even a bit. He had naturally been attracted to Sephiroth and had acted on it; he hadn't freaked out, hadn't gone emo and started slitting his wrists. Just took it like it was something everyday and normal, which it was.

His family had always been openminded, which was probably why he didn't care that he liked men. His mom of course had always wanted grandchildren, but when he had told her he was gay she had just nodded, and with a smile made him promise to adopt, seeing as he was her only son. He didn't know why everyone else in the damned world couldn't think the same as his family. Why did people always have to discriminate, it wasn't like being gay was an illness.

Cloud was brought out of his silent ranting by Sephiroth's cool voice. "Are you going to glare at the ceiling all night?" he asked, amusement dripping from his voice.

"Mmm? No, I was just… thinking," Cloud replied, still thinking how unfair it was that they had to hide their love.

"Thinking… mmm, don't think so hard, it will make your head hurt," Sephiroth joked, pulling Cloud closer and planting a chaste kiss on his lips.

"Seph!" Cloud playfully hit him. "That's not nice," the blond pouted.

"Baby, I _am_ a bastard."

_****Edited for mature content, to read full chapter go to under my account on Adultfanfiction under KuroMitsu.****_

** x**

Brilliant ocean-blue orbs opened slowly as sunlight hit flickering eyelids. Sora groaned and rolled over to check his alarm clock for the time, seeing it was only a little past eight a.m. He didn't have to go to school since it was summer break, and his father was already at work, so he decided to try to get more sleep. But at the slight sting from the bandage on his arm catching a few hairs, his eyes traveled down to where the needle for his blood test had gone in.

Thinking about his test results made him feel a little better, but there was still a bit of anxiety. He had to go back in six months to get tested again, as the doctor had explained that sometimes it could take up to six months for the virus to be detected, even though his initial test had come back negative. And luckily he had been free of other STDs or diseases, which eased his mind a bit more.

Figuring it was futile to go back to sleep, Sora went ahead and got up for the day. He walked slowly into his adjoining bathroom, grabbing a set of clean clothes on his way. He inspected the small barrier of a wedged chair against his bedroom door to make sure no one could come in, then stepped into his bathroom. He locked the door behind him, then stripped and got into the shower.

Allowing the hot flow of water to cascade over him and finish waking him up, Sora lathered his chocolate locks with shampoo as he thought over yesterday's events. The long wait in the clinic's reception area, then the blood being drawn and a quick conversation with the doctor who'd examined him. He'd sat in a private waiting room just off the examination room for nearly two hours to find out the initial results of his HIV test. Tears had welled up in his eyes at the pure relief, but the doctor warned him that he needed another test in half a year, to see if the virus showed up in his system. His relief had died out then, but he was determined to keep a positive attitude and just pray that the next test turned out to be negative as well.

Rinsing his hair, Sora quickly finished his shower, then stepped out of the stall to wrap a towel around his thin body. He towel-dried his hair, tossing the cloth onto the sink counter as he pulled a pair of boxers from his dresser. Selecting his favorite pair of faded jeans and a dark red t-shirt, he got dressed hurriedly as he suddenly heard a knock at his front door. He strode over to his window, face blanching as he recognized Kairi on the small portico. He intended to just ignore her and wait for the redhead to leave, when he heard her begin shouting up at him. Sighing, he moved the chair from in front of his bedroom door and headed downstairs to let her into the house. He'd been dreading the confrontation with her for two days now, but it looked like it could no longer be avoided.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters, nor do I make any money off this story.

**AN: **Thanks to a reviewer on AFF, Ireyon, I completely agree that I did neglect to describe the surroundings more. *Sorry!* But I've read back through this chapter, and decided to add more on the scene. And I'm about half done with the next chapter, so hopefully it should be done within the next few weeks.

Huge thanks for help on this goes to Greyy, she wrote half of this and helped me with where I got stuck. Thank you Kirie!:D

**Chapter 6**

Kairi bounded up the steps leading to the front door of Sora's house. She rang the doorbell a few times, then knocked loudly when she got no answer. Foot tapping in annoyance, she eyed the watch on her slender wrist, ticking the minutes off as she waited for Sora to come to the door. After more than five minutes, she stepped back from the door and scanned the second floor windows to pinpoint Sora's room. Moving to stand directly underneath it, Kairi cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled up to the brunet to get his attention.

"Hey Sora! C'mon, open the door, it's me, Kairi!" Waiting a moment, she saw movement at the curtains on the other side of the glass, then her friend's face appeared behind the windowpanes, peering down at her.

Walking back to the front door, Kairi heard the lock being turned half a minute later before a tired-looking Sora opened the portal wide so she could enter. He cast a wary glance outside before quickly shutting and relocking the door.

Shoes clacking on the black marble tiled floor, Kairi moved into the living room. Standing near the couch, she appraised Sora with a critical eye. She noted that he seemed paler, and he had dark circles under his eyes. His normally bright blue eyes were dark, and refused to meet her own violet orbs. She was worried about him; what could have happened in the last four days since he'd left her house Saturday afternoon?

"Why haven't you answered your phone or returned any of my calls? Are you sick or something?" Kairi waited patiently for an answer. Her concern for Sora deepened when she stepped forward to see if he had a fever and he jerked away from her touch. Her outstretched hand dropped to her side, and she made sure not to approach the skittish brunet.

Taking a seat on the couch behind her, Kairi kept her gaze on Sora as he sat down on the chair furthest from her. He sat stiffly, his arms lying limply in his lap. Kairi noticed a small bandage on the inside of Sora's right arm, just at the bend of his elbow.

The red-haired girl cleared her throat. "Sora, talk to me. What happened to you? And don't lie to me, I can tell something's wrong." Sora could hear the worry in her voice, but his mouth went dry and his brain froze. He didn't want to tell her about Xemnas, at least not yet. He couldn't.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm fine," he lied, his smile wobbly. Kairi decided to remain silent about what could be bothering Sora and smiled at him. "Riku called me this morning," she said brightly, hoping to cheer the brunet up. But judging from his face it did anything but.

"He tried to call you first, but you didn't pick up." Sora nodded absently; his cellphone had been ignored for days now, and he had heard the downstairs phone ring, but hadn't bothered to see who could be calling.

Violet eyes watched the pale brunet in front of her. She knew Riku completely breaking their friendship had hit Sora hard, but she'd never seen him like this. He'd lost weight, and his skin, usually so tan and vibrant, was now dulled. And she was used to his vivacity, constantly hugging her or holding onto her hand, but not once had he approached her since she'd been here. Kairi recalled the way he'd moved back from her when she'd walked in.

Hoping to get his spirits up, and deciding she'd get answers from him later (oh she most _definitely_ would), Kairi stood and smiled brightly. "Come on, Riku wants to hang out! He actually called me wanting to see you!" Waiting for a reaction but getting nothing but silence, the redhead bounced over to Sora.

"Come on, let's go! You said for months you'd do anything to talk to Riku again, here's your chance!"

Sora sat there and felt a small curl of hope bloom in his chest. He still loved Riku, but if he could just be friends with the silver-haired boy again that would be enough; at least that's what he told himself. He missed Riku, all the fun they had, and being able to talk to him about anything. He glanced up at Kairi, who still had a goofy grin on her face. Making the decision to go with her, Sora got up and walked upstairs to his room to change.

As Sora disappeared upstairs, Kairi reached into her purse and pulled out her cellphone. She dialed Riku's number and waited a few seconds for him to pick up. "Hello?" his deep voice answered."Hey Riku, it's Kairi. I'm at Sora's, we'll be at that little coffeehouse on the corner just from your house in about half an hour," she told him.

"All right. See you there. Thanks, Kairi." She could hear the relief and slight trepidation in Riku's voice. Kairi flipped her phone shut and smiled while waiting for Sora to get ready.

Riku hung up his phone, his heart pounding at the thought he'd get to see Sora soon. He'd realized in the last few days that maybe Sora's feelings towards him weren't so onesided after all, his brother's outburst the other night only reinforcing it. He hadn't wanted to admit it, especially to himself, that he had feelings for another boy, and his best friend to boot. Instead of taking time to see how he truly felt, he'd pushed him away. He'd let his fears and other people's opinions matter more than his relationship with Sora. Riku felt he had a reputation to uphold, and considering how his classmates had reacted to finding out Sora was gay, he'd not wanted that same mindset put on him. But thinking about it now, with the way everyone pretty much followed what he did, if he'd accepted Sora and just remained friends, the brunet might not have been so ostracized.

Nearly half an hour later the teen was sitting in a small coffee shop that he and Sora had visited quite frequently before their 'falling out'. The building was bright, large widows running along the entire front to let in as much sunlight as possible. The white tiled floor was a bit scuffed, due to a lot of foot traffic, but otherwise kept in neat condition. The tables were all square, with lacquered black tops and wrought iron legs. The black contrasted nicely with the deep crimson of the seats' cushions. A white counter with the same black top was to the left of the table area, cakes and pastries in glass-covered dishes placed on top with the coffee machines on the wall behind the counter. The last portion of the counter had the cash register, a bored-looking black-haired girl with the shop's dark blue uniform shirt on standing beside it, talking to a tall blond boy with the same uniform on.

The scent of fresh coffee filled the air, mixed with vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate and other flavors for the lattes and cappuccinos. Riku remembered that Sora's favorite flavor of caffe latte was always café mocha, as Sora loved any and all things chocolate.

Voices flowed around the café, laughter reaching Riku's ears as he waited for Kairi and Sora to show up. He looked towards a table not far from where he sat in front of the window, envying the group of friends chatting and giggling together. They reminded him so much of how things used to be before he screwed up.

Silver hair hung down as Riku lowered his head in shame. Would Sora be glad to see him? He looked at the entrance to the shop anxiously, nerves twitching as he recognized the two people who walked in.

Aquamarine eyes widened fractionally as Riku took in Sora's appearance. The brunet was in loose jeans, a big grey sweatshirt covering his upper half. Riku just knew Sora had to be practically melting from the heat; he was sweating just looking at the heavy, bulky material.

"Hey, glad you guys could come," Riku spoke up. Kairi smiled and sat down, but Sora wouldn't look at him. The smaller boy sat down opposite Riku, seeming like he'd run away at the first sign of movement, almost like a skittish colt. And just like Kairi, a worried expression settled on Riku's face. 'What happened to him?'

Meeting Kairi's eyes, Riku cleared his throat and began talking. "So, uh… how have you guys been?" Small talk was definitely not his forte.

Kairi shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, ok. It's been kinda boring, nothing to really do around here." Riku nodded, and both teens looked to Sora. But the boy just sat there silently, ocean orbs downcast.

Riku frowned slightly. Something was up; he'd fully expected Sora to bound up to him and hug him and chatter his ear off, just like he used to do. But he noticed if he leaned near him, Sora would flinch away. His silence was also a bit unnerving; for someone who'd rarely been quiet more than ten seconds at a time, it was a little disconcerting. And he also saw that he wouldn't let Kairi even touch him. He met Kairi's concerned eyes once again, letting her see the worry in his own.

They spent the next hour sitting at the table, Kairi and Riku reminiscing about happier times, both completely aware of the pointed silence from Sora. He'd declined both offers of food or drink, never meeting their eyes for more than two seconds at a time. He just stared out the windows, seemingly in his own world.

Riku was getting frustrated; he was trying, wasn't he? Why was Sora so down, so depressed? He had always been the picture of happiness; what had happened? He hadn't been like this a couple days ago. Had he?

Then again, there's no way he could have known of anything that happened to Sora. He had ditched him after all. Riku couldn't help but be bitter with himself; it sucked that he knew nothing about Sora anymore. They had once been so close.

Riku shook his head, shaking off the bitter thoughts invading his head. He'd had enough, he was going to get to the bottom of this. Kairi nodded her support of what he intended as she seemed to know what he was thinking.

Riku gently laid his hand on Sora's shoulder, and immediately moved it away when Sora flinched violently, his eyes going wide and body rigid. It was as though the devil himself had touched him, and maybe it was. The way he had treated Sora was like he had been the fucking devil himself, so why should Sora not tense when he touched him.

Riku turned to look at Kairi; she looked as shocked as he was, and a bit concerned as well. She turned away from him and gently turned towards Sora, careful not to frighten him. "Sora?" she questioned softly. Her hand rested just above his shoulder, afraid to touch him and have him shy away again.

"Sora? What's wrong with you? You haven't been acting normal and I… I don't know what to do. Sora! Please just talk to me. I'm your best friend, and it hurts that you're not trusting me with whatever you're going through. You know I'll understand, and Riku's here too, and he wants to help you, and he came back Sora; isn't that what you wanted? To be accepted by Riku again? Well here he is." She was crying by the end of her ranting, quite loudly too. But Sora still stayed wide-eyed, staring at… him. Sora was staring at _him_, Riku noticed.

"SORA! DAMMIT! Talk to me-" Kairi cried out, too busy crying to talk right. "Please," she whispered. It was painful for her to sit there and not be able to do anything for him.

Sora still stayed quiet, eyes no longer wide, just blank. Hollow. And staring straight at Riku, not blinking, not wavering, just gazing at him as if he were reading his soul, looking straight through him.

"Sora?" Riku asked softly.

Sora's eyes just stayed blank, not making any sign that he had acknowledged the older teen. He couldn't let them know what had happened; what would they think? His biggest fear was everyone turning their backs on him in disgust. That had already happened once, and he couldn't go through that again.

"Sora, we're worried about you, Kairi's worried about you," Riku then added as an afterthought, "_I'm_ worried about you."

That seemed to make something in Sora's brain click; his eyes softened and filled with an unknown emotion. He blinked, and actually smiled softly. A smile that was barely there. "Riku," Sora whispered, but he didn't look like he knew what he was saying or doing, he was just acting so weird, and to put it simply Riku was getting freaked out.

"Sora?" Riku questioned.

"Riku," Sora whispered back, his voice soft and sweet. But he said Riku's name as if he were a ghost.

"Sora, what… what are you-" Kairi didn't get to finish her thought, because before she could say anything else Sora was out the door, rushing out and not looking back. His face was so pale as he ran past the window they were sitting by. Not even glancing inside. Patrons of the café watched in curiosity as the brunet flew by, their attention snagged for mere seconds before going back to their business.

"There's something wrong with him, Riku," Kairi whispered brokenly as Sora disappeared from sight. "Something bad."

"I can tell." Silver brows drew together in worry. "We have to do something."

'_Yeah'_, Riku thought. _'**I** have to do something.' _"We will do something, and we'll help him Kai. Don't worry; we'll help him."

Sora fled down the street, his mind in turmoil as he just ran away from the coffee shop. He couldn't sit there anymore, seeing the pain and concern in Kairi's eyes and the questions in Riku's aquamarine orbs. He'd had no idea it would be so hard to come face to face with the silver-haired teen after so long. He slowed down to a walk, turning over the past hour in his head.

Not realizing he'd run so far, Sora started as he found himself at the edge of his driveway. His father's car was parked in front of the door, surprising the brunet. Max was never home this early. Walking into the unlocked entrance, Sora slowly made his way to his father's office, hearing the deep baritone of his father's voice as he talked with another person. About to knock on the door, he froze as he recognized Xemnas' voice in quiet conversation with Max.

Looking up, Max noticed the look of panic on his son's face as he stood in the doorway. "Sora, are you alright?" Max didn't like to show emotions, and Sora would be the first one shocked by it, but Max truly cared for his son. He just didn't know how to show it. He couldn't help but be a bit disappointed by the fact that Sora looked just like _her_ instead of him, which is why he tended to leave him to himself so often.

Sora turned tail and ran upstairs, missing the small smirk on Xemnas' face and the now speculative frown Max sent the younger man.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters, nor do I make any money off this story.

**AN:** I am sooo sorry for the wait! I have had the biggest case of writer's block, and some other things just kinda got in the way also. I don't really like this chapter, it just wouldn't come out the way I wanted. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be done, but I will finish this story.

**Note:** A reviewer on AFF asked about Tidus, yes he is the Tidus from FFX. I'm going to try to write in Wakka and Lulu in the next chapter, but if not then they'll definitely be in chapter 9.

Thanks go to my co-author Greyy, who wrote most of the Riku/Seph/Cloud part. And a huge thanks to Chocoboshead, who helped me with this as well. *hugs*

**Chapter 7**

The rest of summer vacation passed fairly quickly for Riku. He spent a lot of time with Kairi and Tidus, trying to figure ways of luring Sora out of his reclusive shell he'd formed. Tidus had been clueless about Sora's drastically changed demeanor, so Kairi had filled him in and now he had decided to help them. Sora was his friend too.

Riku was currently lying on the floor of Tidus' bedroom, staring up at the ceiling in frustration. He'd spent the night with the blond in one of Tidus' old sleeping bags, since it had been so late when he and Kairi had finished talking with the blonde and he'd been invited to stay over. His eyes absently traced over various anime and movie posters hanging on the pale gray walls; the sun streaming through the window lit up the bright blue of Tidus' bedspread. For some reason the silver-haired teen had awoken, and was now wide awake despite it being so early in the morning. The clock on Tidus' bedside table read just a few minutes past seven. The house was still silent, the only noise being the quiet hum of the air conditioner and Tidus' TV on low volume that had been left on, sitting in the corner next to his computer desk.

Thinking back on yesterday's events, Riku couldn't stop thinking of Sora. He and Kairi had been trying (and failing) to get the brunet to hang out with them. But the younger boy refused to even step foot out of his house. But Riku wasn't about to give up; he'd continue to visit Sora every day, until he finally wore the brunet down. Just yesterday he and Sora had been in Sora's living room, Riku trying to convince the younger boy to go with him to meet with Kairi and Tidus at the blond's house, when a dark car pulling up had made Sora tense up. Riku wasn't sure what was going on, seeing a tall white-haired man lumber out of the sedan and walk up to the front door. He'd turned to suddenly find Sora hightailing it back upstairs, and no amount of cajoling would coax the boy out of his locked room. Riku had left more than an hour later, a frown etched on his face, when he heard muted voices coming from the back of the house. He recognized Sora's father's voice, and another, deeper baritone, but he couldn't make out the conversation. The teen headed to his own home, determined to come back tomorrow; as he walked, he wondered why the sound of Max's voice had been raised in anger at his guest, but shrugged it off.

Sighing, Riku stood up, rolling the sleeping bag back up. Stepping over to a slightly snoring Tidus, Riku nudged his shoulder. "Hey, I'm gonna run home and get a shower, I'll see you and Kairi later." Blue eyes gazed blearily up at him, the blond grumpy at being disturbed. "Yeah, sure man," Tidus yawned, rolling over and promptly going back to sleep. Riku chuckled, slipping his shoes on and heading out the door.

The house was quiet as he made his way silently down the stairs. Tidus' parents were both out of town, and he had no idea where Demyx, Tidus' twin, was, nor did he particularly care. Riku locked the front door behind him and pulled his car keys out of his pocket as he got into his maroon '07 Mustang. He cranked the car and shifted into gear, backing out of the short driveway and heading home.

Parking in front of his house about ten minutes later, Riku was surprised to find his father's car in the drive. It was very seldom that Sephiroth spent a Friday night at home anymore. Shrugging to himself, Riku walked into the house, laying his keys on the coffee table. The house was silent; Riku remembered that Fuu had stayed at her friend's house last night, and Zexion was at Marluxia's.

Climbing the stairs two at a time, Riku paused on the landing when he heard a low moan. His ears caught faint laughter and more sounds coming from his father's bedroom. A smirk lifted his lips. 'Dad's got his new girlfriend here!' he thought. Leave it to the older man to bring his lover to his home when his children are gone to avoid awkward introductions. Well, Riku would just have to rectify that right now.

Creeping quietly towards Sephiroth's room, Riku's smirk grew bigger at the thought of surprising his father and lover. Slowly turning the door handle, the teen eased the door open slightly and peered inside the room. He saw the back of his father's head above the covers, and a head of blond hair, but nothing else.

He grinned; his father was into blonds, was he? From what he could see the blond had spiky hair that reminded him of Sora's. He really didn't care that his father was dating; his mother's death had been so long ago, and he was happy that his father had finally decided to move on. He didn't have to keep his lover a secret; unless the girl was like Snow White's stepmother, she couldn't be all that bad.

Riku couldn't help but let a mischievous smile cover his face. Both his dad and the blond were facing away from him, which meant one thing: he could sneak over there without either of them detecting him and scare the crap out of both of them.

Nodding his head, Riku gently slipped through the semi-open door, padding quietly across the plush beige carpet. As he reached the bed, he noticed how tightly his father was embracing his lover. He also noticed how manly his father's girlfriend actually was. Her back was smaller than his dad's, but still a bit too manly. She had broad shoulders, and her arms were nicely defined, like an athletic male. He found that odd; seeing as his mother had been a petite, fragile woman, he would have never thought that his father was into athletic women.

Riku leaned forward, until his mouth was half a foot from his father's ear. "Hi dad!" he whispered teasingly. His father's reaction was not what he had expected; he had fully expected his dad to cover his lover up, or tell him to get out. He did not expect his father to shoot up from the bed and haphazardly cover himself with the top sheet, eyes wide with guilt as he began apologizing to him.

"Riku! I didn't know you were home. I'm sorry, I meant to tell you later, not have you walk in on it like this." Sephiroth was rambling, but his nervousness was beginning to get the better of him. Cloud simply sat silently, looking on.

To say Riku was surprised was an understatement. "Whoa, Dad, what are yo—" It was at that moment that his father's blond mystery lover decided to show her face, sitting forward. And Riku thought he couldn't be more shocked; it turned out that _she_ was a _he_, and he was a very young he, naked in his father's bed. Riku was shocked; so fucking shocked.

"What the—" He stopped himself; it seems even in a surprising situation such as this he still couldn't curse in front of his dad. "I, uh—" Or form a coherent sentence for that matter. Of all possible scenarios of meeting his father's lover, this certainly wasn't what he had imagined.

He was just so _shocked_; this was the last thing that he was expecting. It seemed maybe he was more like his father than he'd thought. They both had secret loves, except his father actually had the guts to be with his love, and him, well… he was still too much in the closet. Yes, he'd finally admitted to himself that he liked Sora more than a friend, maybe even loved him. Now he just had to get the courage to tell Sora.

Riku took a look over at his Father's lover; the blond had a very calm expression on his face. It seemed like he wasn't bothered one bit that his boyfriend's son has just caught them in bed together… naked. But Riku did have to admit the blond was beautiful; with those big blue eyes, so similar to Sora's vibrant ocean blue, and bright blond hair, the guy was anything but ugly.

He guessed the question was, is he mad? No not really; how could he be mad, it wasn't like he was the straightest pole in town. But hurt? Yeah, he was hurt that his father didn't trust him, didn't trust _them_ enough to tell them. If he was gay (or bi) and had a lover, why couldn't he tell them? It wasn't like Zexion was going to call him a sick fag or anything, or his sister either for that matter.

"Riku, this is Cloud, my uh… boyfriend," Sephiroth explained a bit nervously.

Well at least he could stop calling him 'blond' or 'father's lover' now.

"I, uh, don't know what to say," Riku mumbled. Cloud smiled patiently, taking that as a good sign to begin introducing themselves.

"Cloud Strife," the blond held his hand out in a friendly gesture. Riku took the hand, blushing slightly as he realized he was shaking hands with his father's _very naked_ lover.

"Um, I think I'll let you two get dressed," the teen uttered, backing hurriedly out of the room, his face on fire. Riku practically ran to his bedroom, the sight of Cloud and Sephiroth's intimate embrace as he'd interrupted them flashing repeatedly in his mind.

Sephiroth smirked at his son's retreating back. Riku was taking this better than he'd thought. His mirth spread to Cloud, who gave a low chuckle as soon as the door slammed behind the flustered Riku.

Riku closed his bedroom door behind him, his brain still trying to process the scene he'd just witnessed. He sat on the edge of his bed, staring blindly at the wall in front of him. Absently he noticed how messy he'd left his room; knowing his father would be displeased with the room, he began straightening up. Riku picked up the dirty clothes littered about the floor and made his bed, the room looking better now that the floor was actually visible. The hunter green and white plaid bedspread matched well with the cream walls; his dresser, chest of drawers, desk and night table all a light maple wood that matched his bed. His green curtains were pulled back off his windows, one parallel his bed and the other next to his desk, to allow sunlight to pour into the room. He didn't have posters on his walls, just a few pieces of framed art that he loved and went with the décor of his bedroom.

Finished with tidying up, Riku sat back down on his bed, fidgeting as he waited for his father. Just as he thought that the door opened, showing a slightly hesitant Sephiroth standing on the threshold. "Can I come in?"

Riku nodded. Sephiroth walked into the room, pulling out the computer chair and sitting across from his son.

"So, uh, where's Cloud?" Riku asked, glancing around to try to spot the blond.

"He's taking a shower." Sephiroth gave a quiet snicker at the blush creeping up once again on Riku's cheeks. Noticing the glare on his eldest son's face, Sephiroth quickly sobered and cleared his throat. "So, is there anything you wanna ask me?"

Aqua eyes, so like Sephiroth's own, turned thoughtful. "How long have you been seeing him?"

Sephiroth smiled. "Two years now, he's 24, and he works at the accounting firm with me, which is how we met." A slight pause as the older man sat back. "Riku, I've been wanting to talk to you about this for a while, but to be honest I wasn't sure how you and your brother and sister would react. I know it's been… difficult with your mother gone, but it hasn't been easy for me either."

Riku studied his father's face, then leaned back on the bed and smiled. "I know, Dad. But if he makes you happy, then I can give him a chance." For some reason, Riku really wasn't as upset as he thought he'd be on finding his father with another man. And seeing the relieved smile on his father's face as the tension lifted from Sephiroth's shoulders, Riku realized how worried his dad had been at his reaction. For a moment he was tempted to tell him about his feelings for Sora, but decided to wait until he could sort them out more, preferably with Sora himself. They talked for a few more minutes before the sound of pots clanging downstairs caught their attention.

The smell of pancakes wafted to their noses as father and son walked into the kitchen, and giving a small smile and nod to the apron-clad Cloud, who was standing at the stove with a spatula in hand as he flipped a set of golden pancakes, Riku sat down at the round kitchen table and began eating his breakfast, all the while watching the loving exchange between his father and Cloud with a smile on his face. Maybe one day he could have that with Sora, if he hasn't screwed his chances up too badly.

** x**

Max Banford scowled at the retreating back of Xemnas as the younger man exited his office. He'd noticed his son's reaction when Sora had seen the pale-haired man in his home several weeks ago, and his suspicions had risen by certain comments from Xemnas. And he'd seen how Sora had paled and run upstairs when the man had come to the house yesterday, which had caused a huge argument between him and his colleague. He knew something was going on, but Xemnas was being closemouthed about it, which infuriated Max. And Sora wouldn't even talk to him.

Mind roiling, Max turned to the large window behind his leather swivel chair and eyed the scenery of the large city absently. His office, done in tasteful browns and blacks, reflected the shrewd businessman. His desk was a dark mahogany, with brass handles on the drawers to his right. His bookcase lining the wall alongside the door was filled with books and random pieces of art he'd picked up over the years; a large black filing cabinet sat on the opposite side of the room. A live ficus tree stood in the corner closest to the window, complimenting the green stripes in the rug on the floor. Next to his computer on his desk sat a dark wood picture frame with Sora in it, the brunet smiling in one of his school photos. The picture was what had started his small 'squabble' with Xemnas earlier; the white-haired man had been staring (ogling) the photo, and Max had snapped. He continued staring out his window for a while longer, then abruptly turned to his phone and called the line to his personal receptionist's desk.

"Lydia? Cancel all my appointments for the rest of the day, I have something I need to attend to." His receptionist simply acquiesced, her soothing voice informing his clients of their cancellations by phone and setting up new times as he strode past her to the elevators. He unlocked his silver Lexus IS F, pulling out of his personal parking space and heading for home. It was about time for him to sit down and have a long overdue talk with his son.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters, nor do I make any profit from this story.

_Thanks to Sephirothlover845, my co-author. She wrote half of this, if it wasn't for her help this chapter would still be sitting on my computer. Thank you Kirie! *hugs* Merry Christmas everyone!^_^_

**Chapter 8**

Sora walked slowly to his bedroom window as he heard the sound of a car door closing. His brow furrowed in confusion as he recognized his father's silver sedan in the driveway; he glanced at the clock, seeing that his father was home earlier than usual. The sound of the front door closing and Max's voice calling Sora's name brought a sigh to the brunet's lips as he unlocked his bedroom door. Closing the portal silently behind him, the teen made his way down the stairs to the living room where his father waited for him.

Dark brown eyes stared at the pale form of Sora. The boy had lost quite a bit of weight; although Sora had never really been all that big, the weight he'd lost made him appear almost gaunt. _How could I not have noticed?_ Max questioned himself. He studied his son closely, something he'd rarely done. Sora's coloring, the chocolate-brown hair and azure blue eyes, his peachy-toned skin, reminded Max so much of Anya, Sora's mother. It irked him so much at first that he took after _her_ so much in looks, but he'd realized it had affected his feelings for Sora, and he refused to do that anymore. The boy had already been abandoned by his mother; he couldn't let him be neglected by his one remaining parent simply because he resembled the bitch that birthed him.

"Sora, I know we've never really talked before, and that's my fault. But I need to ask you something, and I want you to be honest with me." Sora stared at his father after sitting down on the leather couch across from Max, who was seated on the edge of the matching ottoman he'd pulled close to Sora. Max paused for a moment, trying to form the words he wanted to say. He knew he needed to tread carefully with Sora, and not act like the defense attorney he was and was cross-examining a witness.

"I know Xemnas has been here several times when I've been at work, has he…" Sora's face paled as he finally understood what Max was trying to ask. "Has he ever… touched you? Made any inappropriate advances towards you?" Max paused a moment, taking in the tense set of Sora's shoulders as he noticed the brunet's hands ball into tight fists on his lap.

Sora sat in shock. _How did he find out?_ Tears came unbidden to his eyes, and he turned his head away, hoping Max wouldn't notice. He'd scooted closer to the edge of the couch so he was now perched precariously on the front of the cushion. Shame coursed through him at the thought of his father knowing his secret. He couldn't look at Max, fearing to see disgust in his features. But after a few minutes he felt anger take over. His father never bothered to even ask how he was, or cared to know how his day at school went, or even what was going on in his life. What right did he have now to suddenly act like he cared?

Jumping up, Sora faced his father, though he still wouldn't look him in the eye. "Why do you care? You've never given a shit about me, always leaving me by myself, and you choose now to act like a concerned parent?" he yelled, his chest heaving as he panted, rage washing over him. A part of him knew he shouldn't be screaming at Max when he was just trying to help him, but his anger, fear and shame of Xemnas' assault had manifested into him basically being defensive to protect himself. He was so tired of being scared of Xemnas, hell _anyone_, attacking him that he felt he was being driven past his limits. He couldn't eat, he hardly slept, he stayed in a constant state of fear of being hurt again. Sora was simply _tired_.

Turning, Sora ran out of the living room, his feet pounding up the stairs as he made his way to his room. His bedroom door slammed loudly, the click of the lock echoing in the silence.

Max stood in stunned shock; never had Sora ever cursed in front of him, much less yelled or even raised his voice. His hands clenched violently by his sides; if he'd had any doubts whatsoever about Xemnas hurting Sora, they'd just been erased. Gritting his teeth, Max slowly headed to his home office. Xemnas would pay, he'd make sure of it. He knew the law, and since so much time has passed and Sora never reported anything to the police, there wasn't much he could do legally, especially if Sora refused to press charges. He'd just have to handle things in his own way.

** x**

The next day, just after arriving at work, Max stood in the doorway of Xemnas' office, studying the man he'd considered his friend in stoic silence. The pale-haired man was currently on the phone, his chair facing slightly away from Max. He soon finished his conversation, placing the phone back into its cradle and gracing the older man with a slight smirk.

"Hello, Max. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit today?" Max visibly bristled, shutting the door as he walked to the desk. _Keep your cool, he's just trying to bait you_, he thought as he strove to remain calm. But damn it was hard, especially with the way Xemnas smiled at him like he knew exactly why Max was there.

Eyes narrowed, Max glared at Xemnas as he strode to the front of the large oak desk. Xemnas' office was decorated very similarly to Max's own, the main difference being the absence of a rug on the floor, and his desk and shelving done in lighter shades of wood. He had a few more books in the bookcase and more eclectic pieces of art, and there were no pictures evident anywhere. In all the office was a clean, sterile room bearing little warmth.

Once reaching the desk, Max slammed his hands down onto the hard wood surface, leaning towards the white-haired man. Hard brown met cold honey as their eyes clashed. "I'm only going to say this once," Max gritted out, menace lacing his tone, "stay the hell away from my son." He backed up, never taking his gaze from Xemnas' face. A silent battle waged between the two men as they faced off, Max wanting nothing more than to plow his fist into the tan features before him.

Chuckling lightly and raising his hands in the air in mock surrender, Xemnas pushed his chair away from its previous position and rose gracefully to his feet. His smirk grew wider as he witnessed the anger radiating off of the older man. He moved around the edge of the furniture to lean against the front of his desk, crossing his ankles and settling himself comfortably as he stared mockingly at Max. His navy Armani suit jacket was draped over the back of his tan leather swivel chair, leaving him clad in his matching pants and a pristine white button-up shirt. The sleeves had been rolled up to his elbows, his forearms bare but for the plain gold watch on his left wrist. His arms were crossed over his chest, his whole demeanor seeming to laugh at the situation.

"Max, Max, Max," he sighed, shaking his head, his pale hair flowing fluidly around him. "Didn't your parents ever tell you that threatening your friends isn't nice?"

Max growled, his fists clenching and unclenching at the patronizing tone. He was trying his best to stay calm and not beat the shit out of the man in front of him. Xemnas thought he was so cool, by being all calm and mocking. But if he kept it up Max wasn't going to hold back, he was going to give in to his urges; to put it simply, turn Xemnas black and blue.

"I'm going to tell you this only once more, so listen and listen good," he stated. "Any friendship we had is over. If you ever come near my son again I will be the least of your worries." He made sure to pronounce every word slowly; if Xemnas didn't get his point he was dumber than he thought.

"And who said _you _had _me_ worried?" He raised his eyebrows and leaned back, letting his hands support his weight.

Max wanted to punch something so bad, the urge to just make something, _anything_, bloody was so great right now, he had to pat himself on the back for controlling it.

"You better watch it Xemnas," he warned. "You won't know how, you won't know where, and you won't know when, but I will get revenge, and it will be so much worse than what you did to my son."

Xemnas chuckled, amused. "You just told me you were going to do it; stupid, stupid move." He paused. "Now what's stopping _me_ from going to the cops?"

"I'm not stupid Xemnas, I have thought of that." He laughed out loud. "Tell me, what are you going to tell the cops, you have no proof. And I'm sure they'd love to know what you did to my _underage_ son." Max grinned at him as he saw Xemnas' cool mask falter. He would leave for now, but he wouldn't stop. Not until he broke Xemnas and he confessed to what he did. He _would_ pay for what he'd done to Sora.

Max's grin fell as he sent Xemnas a warning glare and turned to leave, but not before Xemnas got in a last dig of his own. His strange-colored eyes glinted maliciously at the dark-haired man.

"Oh, Max, by the way, your son was great; really tight, hot, and shit does he move just right." His voice lowered to a mocking purr, "He's one hell of a screamer."

Max's eyes widened and his glare deepened, blind rage building up in his chest and nearly suffocating him, and without even looking back he walked swiftly out of there, slamming the door hard into the wall as he strode past. He knew he had to leave or else he would kill Xemnas right then and there, and then where would Sora be?

Marching into his office, Max grabbed his car keys and overcoat then brusquely informed his secretary that he was leaving for the day. Taking the elevator to the lower parking deck where his car was, he angrily sat in the driver's seat for countless minutes, trying to calm down. Xemnas's words rang in his ears, confirming his fears about what had happened to Sora. Max beat his fists on the steering wheel, wishing it were Xemnas' face instead. "Fuck!" he yelled, his anger draining out of him at the remembrance of his son's face when he'd confronted him. Max slumped wearily in his seat, eyes closed and head tilted back on the headrest as he now fought tears. Thoughts and regrets swirled around his brain, taunting him. Maybe if he'd been a better father, he wouldn't have left Sora alone. If he'd paid more attention to his son, then he could've perhaps seen the early signs of Xemnas' sick obsession with Sora. Should have's and what if's mocked him, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it now. All he could do was try to help Sora in any way he can, and make sure to keep that bastard away from him.

Starting the car, Max pulled out and quickly left the building, maneuvering into midday traffic, oblivious to the furious golden eyes watching him leave from five stories above.

**AN:** Sorry for the wait! Next chapter, Sora goes back to school, he and Riku will interact more, and Wakka and Lulu make an appearance. Not really sure when the next chapter will be done, I need to work on my other story, so it will probably be January or February before it's posted.

Thank you to **xXxSmidgexXx**, **PinkFloydLady7**, **Naruta 13**, **X-mas-snow-X**, **vIoLeT bUtTeRfLy 90**, and **Yumi-nachan** for reviewing. Your reviews mean so much!


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters, nor do I make any profit from this story.

**AN:** So I was trying to write the next chapter for 'Happy Surprises', but all I could focus on was this story. I've been playing KHre:CoM (I finally got it for my PS2 and have been playing like crazy; I think it actually helped me to kick my writer's block!) Some of this I kinda got a bit stuck with – I went solo on this chapter, my co-author is out of town visiting relatives and I wanted to get this posted as soon as I could – but all in all I'm happy with it. I'm already half done with the next chapter, it should be ready by next weekend, if not sooner. Happy New Year!

**Chapter 9**

The remainder of summer vacation passed swiftly for Sora, and finally the day he had been dreading came: the first day of school. His stomach churned with anxiety as his alarm blared at him at six a.m. that Monday morning, alerting him that it was time to get up. Sora lay in bed for a few moments, staring up at the white ceiling of his bedroom, before heaving a weary sigh and sitting up.

A knock at his door drew his attention. "Sora, you awake?" Max asked through the wooden portal.

"Yeah, I'm up," the brunet answered softly. He stood and padded over to his closet to select an outfit before heading into his connected bathroom.

Max spoke again before walking downstairs. "You need to be ready in half an hour. I'll drop you off at school."

Sora blinked, halting at the entrance of his bathroom. His father had never offered to give him a ride to school. He'd had to do it when Sora was little, but as soon as Sora was old enough to walk to school on his own he'd simply leave for work without a word. But his father had been hanging around home more lately, and he actually talked to Sora now. Max knew he had a long ways to go to mend his and Sora's relationship, but he _was_ trying.

Shrugging to himself, Sora entered his bathroom to take a quick shower. The room was furnished with the same color blue as his bedroom; the shower curtain, bath rugs and window curtains contrasted nicely with the white tub, sink and toilet and white/black speckled travertine flooring. A white closet door was next to the bathroom door, right across from the sink and counter. The small tub ran alongside the closet, with a glass shower cubicle in the corner at the end. The toilet was beside the sink/counter, where Sora laid his clean clothes for after his shower. Plain white tile lined the wall in the shower and above the tub.

Undressing, Sora stepped into the shower, closing the door behind him as he turned the hot water on. He showered quickly, exiting less than ten minutes later. Wrapping a blue towel around his waist, he dried his hair and dressed, throwing the towel and his dirty clothes in the hamper on his way out of the room. He grabbed his white sneakers out of his bedroom closet, sitting down on the edge of his bed to put them on. He'd dressed casually in a pair of blue jeans and a simple white polo shirt. His hair refused to be tamed down, the brown locks seeming to defy gravity as they spiked in every direction.

Finally finished getting ready, Sora headed downstairs to the kitchen. He saw Max seated at the center island, drinking a cup of coffee and reading the daily paper. A small part of his brain noted that they'd dressed in the same colors, Max in his dark blue suit and crisp white button-down shirt and blue tie. Sora waited patiently for his father to put his mug in the sink, standing near the doorway to the kitchen.

Max stood by the sink. "Aren't you going to eat breakfast?" He knew Sora probably wouldn't eat, so the slight shake of his son's head didn't really surprise him. Taking a ten dollar bill out of his wallet, he handed it to Sora. "Take this, get a little something to eat at lunch." Sora pocketed the money, following Max as the older man grabbed his keys and led the way outside to his car.

The ride to school was silent, and for Sora much too fast. Max pulled up at the curb in front, and Sora stepped out of the car, trepidation filling him as he looked upon the place he now hated. "I'll pick you up at 3," he heard Max tell him, and he absently waved him off. Taking a deep breath, he slowly walked among the milling students gathered outside and went through the school's front doors. He went straight to the office, retrieving his class schedule and looking it over. He hadn't seen Kairi or Riku yet, and his nerves were jittery as he made his way to his homeroom.

Stopping in front of the classroom door, Sora braced himself and walked in. There were only a few students in the room, and he took the opportunity to take a desk at the back of the class. There was still nearly twenty minutes before the eight o'clock bell, and he sat quietly as more and more kids came in.

"Sora!" He started in surprise as his name was called. He turned to see a smiling Kairi and Riku coming towards him. Riku was dressed as casually as Sora in a pair of black jeans and a maroon t-shirt, while Kairi had on her favorite pink dress and white sandals.

"Looks like we all have the same homeroom!" Kairi exclaimed happily, then checked over Sora's schedule, which he'd left on his desk. She took the seat in front of him, while Riku sat next to him. Sora had yet to meet Riku's gaze, but Riku wasn't deterred. He had all year to get Sora to open up and talk to him again. _Just hopefully sooner than later._

Surveying the room, Riku was glad to see that neither Saix nor Demyx was in their class. His gaze landed on one of his fellow football players, Wakka, sitting a few desks over. Next to the burly redhead was Wakka's girlfriend Lulu. Lulu was that scary type of girl; her dark moods and quick temper tended to put off most people who met her. But she and Wakka, who was her complete opposite in temperament, had seemed to click the moment they'd met two years ago, and had been together since. Wakka, being average height at six foot, was only a few inches taller than Lulu. Riku always found it amusing to see them together. Wakka liked to wear bright colors, while Lulu usually wore dark, somber clothes. The outfit she seemed to like the most, which is the one you'll most likely find her wearing, is a strange sort of long skirt that looked to be made of belts and a fur-lined, off-the-shoulder blouse. Her dark hair was pulled up and held by several ornamental pins, with a few long braids trailing down her back and decorated with colorful beads. She caught Riku's perusal and stared back with cold brown eyes.

Just as the bell rang, their homeroom teacher walked in. She was a pretty young woman, looking to be in her mid to late twenties, with long brown hair. "Hello class, I'm your homeroom and also your history teacher this year, Aerith Gainsborough," her bright green eyes scanned over the students as a pleasant smile lit up her face.

After Aerith did roll call, Kairi and Riku whispered back and forth about their schedules. "Hey Riku, you didn't tell me your uncle was gonna teach this year," she said. Riku read his own schedule, and sure enough his uncle Vexen was listed as his science teacher. He groaned silently to himself as he thought of taking his uncle's class.

While Aerith readied everything to get her first class started, Kairi and Riku continued talking, both noticing how Sora had remained silent. Kairi compared all three schedules, and saw that Sora and Riku were in nearly the same classes together. She herself had only two other classes with Sora, and three with Riku. Hopefully Riku would have some luck getting Sora to at least talk again, but a small part of her was doubtful.

Lunchtime finally rolled around, much to Kairi's relief. She grabbed her tray of food and waited in line to pay as she searched the crowded cafeteria for Riku and Sora, and spotted Riku's bright silver hair at a table near one of the large windows. She finally paid for her food and quickly navigated the rows of long rectangular tables, placed four in a row adjacent to each other for a total of eight aisles, and bounded up to her friends' table. She set her tray down next to Sora, sitting across from Riku. "Hey Sora, aren't you gonna eat something?" she asked the brunet worriedly when she didn't see a tray in front of him. "I'm not hungry," he mumbled, his head lowered onto his crossed forearms. His appetite was almost non-existent now, and they could tell by how much weight he'd lost.

Shrugging helplessly, Riku glanced away from Kairi's sad face and picked at his own food. Sora hadn't said one word to him all day, no matter how hard he tried to get him to talk to him. He was jerked out of his musings when Tidus plopped down beside Kairi, a grin on his face as he greeted his girlfriend. The small group was soon joined by Wakka and Lulu, then finally Selphie. The buzz of dozens of voices talking over one another droned in Riku's head, but he simply ate quietly as he watched Sora out of the corner of his eye.

A sudden snide voice made everyone's heads turn towards the front of the table. There stood the two people Riku and Kairi most definitely didn't want to see. Demyx was standing next to Saix, a cocky smirk on his tanned face. "Too good to sit with us now, Riku?" the blond taunted. Riku's lip curled in apparent disdain for his former friends. "That's fine; looks like you turned fag on us." His laughter at his own comment made Riku fume inside.

"No one wants to hear your dumb-ass remarks, so while don't you just go back to your table with the other brainless idiots," Kairi hissed before Riku could utter a word.

"I wasn't talking to you, bitch!" Demyx snarled. He took a menacing step forward, halting as his brother Tidus stood to protect his girlfriend, along with Riku. Though they were twins, their personalities were complete opposites. They weren't identical twins, but they both had the same golden blond hair and bright blue eyes. They were very similar in build, but Tidus was two inches taller, and it showed as he glowered down at his brother.

"Don't you ever call her that again," he said angrily. Demyx sneered, then moved back beside Saix, who hadn't uttered a word but simply stared at them with a condescending look on his face. "Pathetic," Demyx raked a glare over the group at the table, "I'll never know why you take up with this trash. I'm ashamed to call you family."

Tidus remained standing, his fists clenched tightly to keep from punching his brother. He didn't move until the two teens had left, sitting back down beside Kairi and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She gave him a small smile as she leaned into his embrace.

"Sorry about that," he mumbled, his face red in anger. Surprisingly, it was Lulu who spoke. "It's not your fault your brother's a dickhead," she said in her usual cool tone. Wakka nodded, his mouth full of food preventing him from speaking. (He knew better than to try talking with his mouth full around Lulu; she tended to hit him over the head with the strange moogle doll she always carried around with her.)

Riku glanced at Sora after resuming his own seat, worry etched on his face as he noticed the smaller boy fighting back tears. Sora knew that Demyx and Tidus were at each other's throats because of him, even though Tidus had told him that wasn't why they fought. Kairi turned her attention from Tidus to see the look Riku shot her, nodding his head at Sora, who now had his face buried in his folded arms on top of the table.

"Sora? Are you okay?" Kairi whispered. Chocolate-brown tufts of hair lifted, and she saw ocean-blue orbs gaze at her. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said in a low voice, sighing as he picked his backpack up off the floor. Kairi moved to lay a hand on his arm, and everyone at the table noticed as Sora flinched slightly as he moved out of Kairi's range. He still had a problem with people touching him; he couldn't help it. The thought of someone putting even a finger on him made him feel sick.

Sora stood up, grasping his bag tightly. "I'll see you guys later," he murmured just as the bell signaling lunch was over rang loudly. Riku cursed as he remembered that Sora's next class was one he didn't share with him. "Damn it!" he growled, kicking his chair as he picked up his books. Kairi and Tidus began walking with him to his class; Tidus had math, while Kairi was headed for history. Riku had his most hated class right now: calculus 1. He waved bye to his friends and entered the classroom, his thoughts completely on Sora.

** x**

Staring longingly at the clock on the wall behind the teacher's desk, Sora willed the time to pass faster. He was in his science class, his last one of the day; he vaguely remembered Kairi saying that Riku's uncle Vexen was teaching the class this year. He'd met the man a few times when he'd had sleepovers with Riku at his house. The guy had a weird fascination with ice, and was always showing off his crazy experiments.

He knew the man recognized him. He kept zeroing in on Sora as he taught the lesson, smiling kindly as Sora would unintentionally meet his eyes. Vexen had the bright emerald green eyes that Sephiroth had, but his hair was a medium blond instead of that unusual silver that ran in their family. Riku had once told him that his grandmother, Sephiroth and Vexen's mother, had the same vibrant shade of hair color. Her name, Jenova, had stuck in his head due to it being so strange. Sora had never met her, but he'd seen pictures of her at Riku's house. Sephiroth and Riku were almost carbon copies of her.

Five minutes 'til three, and the first bell to let students go home sounded. Relief poured through the brunet as he gathered his things and hurriedly exited the room. As he walked out of the school building, he could hear the kids talking and screaming as they were loaded onto the buses as he passed by them. He kept his gaze focused on the ground as he slowly started his trek home. Even though Max had told him he'd pick him up, he'd gotten a text from his father saying that he'd have to stay at work after hours for some kind of impromptu client consultation. He'd told Sora to ride the bus home, but Sora hated the bus; there was absolutely _no way_ he was stepping foot on one.

Not paying attention to his surroundings, Sora stopped dead in his tracks as he heard his name spoken in a husky voice. Wide blue eyes locked onto a particular face he'd hoped never to see again. Xemnas was standing next to his dark car just ahead of him, leaning against the driver's door as his golden eyes trailed down his body then back up to his face. Sora gulped in fear, realizing that his absentmindedness had made him a bit careless. He was alone on the sidewalk, in an empty section of street where no homes or businesses were. He cautiously backed away, never taking his eyes off of the man in front of him.

Xemnas smirked as he pushed himself off his car and began advancing towards the smaller teen. Quick as lightning, his hand lashed out and grabbed hold of Sora's thin wrist, keeping the panicking boy in place effortlessly. Sora fought to free his arm, twisting and pulling in Xemnas' grip. "Let me go!" he cried out hoarsely, his throat closing up in terror. He dug his feet into the dense patch of grass between the sidewalk and road as Xemnas began pulling him to his car. "I think you and I need to have a little chat," Xemnas informed him. Tears of frustration and panic blinded Sora momentarily, but just before the tall man could push him into the vehicle, another voice rang out.

"Get your hands off him!" Sora never thought he'd be so glad to hear Riku's voice. The silver-haired teen had followed Sora from school, wanting to keep a close watch on him. He was glad he did, seeing him fighting to be released from the older man's grasp.

Riku ran to Sora's side and knocked the white-haired man's hand away from the brunet's wrist. Cold gold orbs regarded the teen who had come to Sora's aid. Riku glared balefully at Xemnas, daring him silently to lay a hand on Sora again. Riku got into a fighting stance; he'd spent years training in martial arts, and he was prepared to physically keep the man away from Sora if need be. A sneer twisted Xemnas' lips as he turned to get into his car. "Our talk will have to wait until later, I suppose," he told the now-trembling Sora as he opened his car door and sat behind the wheel, "but I _will_ see you later," he promised darkly. Riku remained beside Sora as Xemnas drove off, wondering what the hell that was all about.

Picking up Sora's backpack, which had been dropped during the brief struggle, Riku handed it to the shaken boy. "Come on, I'm walking you home." His tone brooked no refusal, and Sora nodded gratefully as he fell into step with Riku.

Riku was pondering who the man could have been, and why he wanted to get Sora into his car, when he heard the one thing he'd been craving all day. Sora's voice. "Thank you, Riku," he whispered softly. Riku smiled; he hadn't realized exactly how much he'd missed the sound of Sora's voice. He made sure to stay close to Sora the rest of the way to the brunet's house, all while wondering if that man could possibly be the reason why Sora had been acting weird. He made a mental note to talk to Sora's father about this later.

** I tried to get Lulu as accurate as I could, but she was a bit hard. I'm basing her off the way she was at the start of FFX, when she was cold to Tidus and Wakka. And next chapter you'll find out exactly why Max couldn't pick Sora up.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters, nor do I make any profit from this story.

******Wow, I'm on a roll this week! I'm already partway done with chapter 11, I'll try to have it done before the end of the month. And I'm trying to figure out which character to use as Xemnas' friend: Xigbar or Xaldin. I'm gonna have to play KHII again and see which one I like better I guess.:D

I was so happy at the response I got from chapter 9! I'm glad you all liked it, and I hope you continue to enjoy the fic. Big thanks to (on ) **rappelezfille**, **judai-is-mine**, **Animeblossom**, **Tysonkaiexperiment**, **Chyuouko** **No Miyuzu**, **vIoLeT bUtTeRfLy 90**, **Rose Riku**, **PinkFloydLady7**, **Kairi Dragon**, **00Midnight Siren00**, and **Yumi-nachan, **and (on ) **Dove** and **jennifer** for your reviews. Thank you guys so much!******

_**Thanks to Kirie for reading over this for me, you rock!**_

**Note: **I'm sorry if the story seems to be moving slowly, I'm trying to show a sense of realism to Sora's feelings and reactions. Too many fics on here have the lead character raped, then after a week or two they're all better and happy. That is not how true life is, most rape victims can take years to deal with their trauma. So please just bear with me, the story will pick up soon, and there will be more interaction between Riku and Sora. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 10**

Xemnas stormed into his condo in the posh section of town, the sound of the front door slamming so hard against the wall it reverberated throughout the entire home. He cursed to himself. _A_ _few more seconds and I would have had him…_ His eyes glowed with rage. If it hadn't been for that interfering little bastard, he'd have Sora with him now. His one taste of the teen hadn't been enough; his dreams replayed every night of his time with Sora. Max's idle threats didn't scare him. He _would _have Sora again, and no one was going to stop him.

His thoughts had gone way beyond obsession for the chocolate-haired boy; he'd lusted after him for years before finally making his move last May. His want, _need_, for Sora had turned into an insidious black haze in his brain. It wasn't love or even truly desire he felt for Sora, more like a craving to dominate and overpower him. There was just something about him…

"There will be other opportunities," he mused darkly to himself after calming down a bit. "No one can keep you away from me." He went into his bedroom and fished out his old address book, deciding it was time he looked up a long-time friend who could possibly help him.

** x**

Sora led Riku into his house, tucking his keys back into his pocket. His hands were still shaking from the encounter, and it had taken him a few tries to finally insert the key into the lock. Riku had watched him protectively, standing back so he wouldn't crowd Sora. He knew something must have happened between him and that man, and though he wanted to find out what, he was afraid of pushing Sora too much.

"Um, I-I'm gonna put my bag up," Sora said in a low tone, leaving Riku alone in the living room. Taking the moment to call Kairi, Riku dialed her cell number and only had to wait a few seconds before the redhead picked up.

"_Hello?"_ Riku could hear a lot of people in the background, cheering and laughing.

"Where are you at now?" he asked.

"_I'm at school; Tidus and Wakka decided to play football with some of the guys from the team. Why? What's going on?"_ Her tone changed from happy to concerned as she detected the somberness in Riku's voice.

Riku sighed. "Can you come over to Sora's house? Something… happened. I really need you here, Kairi."

There was no hesitation as Kairi responded. _"I'll be right there."_

** x**

Sora didn't know how long he stayed in the bathroom. He ran cold water over his face, trying to calm himself down. He couldn't leave Riku alone; the silver-haired teen would wonder where he'd gotten off to. He gazed at himself in his mirror, willing his body to stop trembling. He was startled when he heard the doorbell ring.

Walking down the stairs slowly, Sora paused on the bottom step as he recognized Kairi's voice. She and Riku were in the entranceway, talking quietly.

"… telling me what happened? You really freaked me out with that phone call!"

Sora paled, then flushed with anger. Why the hell did Riku call her? Was he gonna tell everyone how Sora was so weak he had to save him from nearly being kidnapped right off the street? He wanted to rail at them both about sticking their noses in where they didn't belong, but found his feet wouldn't let him move.

"I'm sorry about that Kairi, but he won't open up to me. I was hoping maybe you could talk to him, find out what's been going on with him."

Kairi stayed silent a moment, then Sora heard her breath huff out in annoyance. "Fine, but will you please tell me what the hell happened today?"

"I'm not really sure what was going on at first. There was some creepy guy trying to force Sora into his car. I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't followed him from school." Riku's voice had a quality of worry in it that Sora had never heard before.

Kairi gasped in shock. "Do-do you know who the man was?" her voice wobbled.

Riku shook his head. "No. And I didn't want to spook him by asking right then. God Kairi, you should have seen his face! He was so scared; I've never seen him like that…" He trailed off, not able to finish his sentence.

Sora sat down heavily on the last stair, his throat closing up as all his sudden anger towards Riku and Kairi drained away. The reality of what had nearly occurred finally caught up with him, and a strangled sob tore from his lips. The sound brought Riku and Kairi to his side, both giving him worried looks as tears began cascading down his cheeks. Thin arms wrapped around himself. For the first time in more than three months, he didn't flinch when he felt Kairi touch his shoulder.

Riku felt just a tiny bit of relief when Sora allowed Kairi to touch him. It was the most progress they'd made since Sora had become withdrawn. Kairi turned towards Riku, a pleading look in her dark blue eyes. "Let me talk to him, ok?" she asked, hoping that maybe if Sora and she were alone he might tell her what's been going on.

Trying not to let his jealousy show that the brunet allowed Kairi to be near and not him, Riku watched as Kairi led Sora upstairs. He wanted to be the one to offer comfort to Sora, but he knew the brunet still didn't completely trust him – not that he could honestly blame him after the way he treated him. With a sigh, he flopped down onto the sofa and picked up the remote control for the T.V. Just as he was about to turn on the television, he heard the front door open and the sound of Max cursing quietly to himself.

Max resisted the urge to slam the door as hard as he could; there was no need to take his anger out on the hapless wood, even if it would make him feel better for one second. He grumbled under his breath as he strode into the living room, his eyes fixed on the cellphone in his hand and not his surroundings. It was with a bit of shock that Max finally noticed Riku sitting in his house, causing him to falter for a moment. At that second, they both heard the loud annoying ringtone of Sora's phone coming from upstairs. A look of relief crossed Max's face as he realized Sora was home.

Shutting his cell closed, Max set his briefcase down beside the overlarge tan recliner just opposite of Riku, turning to face the teen fully as he shrugged off his navy blue suit jacket and laid it over the arm of the chair. "What are you doing here?" he demanded. He was also a bit puzzled; he remembered Sora saying something about him and Riku not being friends anymore a while back. Maybe they'd patched things up?

Noting the worried expression on Riku's face, Max tensed back up immediately. "What's wrong? Did something happen to Sora?"

"He's okay, more shaken up than anything," Riku was quick to reassure him.

Dark eyes narrowed on the teen, not liking that answer at all. "Tell me what happened," Max bit out in a commanding voice.

Swallowing nervously at the glare he was now receiving, Riku began telling Max what had occurred that afternoon. "I was following Sora home; he's been acting a bit… off lately, and I wanted to make sure he got home safely. But about halfway here, a man in a dark car tried to kidnap him. I managed to scare him off, but he threatened Sora right before he left."

It was silent for a few minutes as Max digested what he'd just learned. A heavy scowl settled onto his features as he began pacing in front of the chair. Riku shrank back at the murderous look on Max's face, glad that it wasn't directed at him.

"This man who tried to take Sora," Max's voice was hoarse with restrained rage, "was he tall, with white hair and tan skin?" He was almost positive it had been Xemnas, but he needed to make sure. So Riku's surprised, "How did you know?" came as no shock.

"That son of a bitch! I'll kill him!" Max exploded. His hands curled into tight fists as he seethed. Riku just continued to stare at the older man, stunned at the display of anger. He'd never even seen Sora's dad bat an eyelash at anything, so the show of temper was startling.

Max's chest heaved in rage. _Damn you, Xemnas!_ He should have known the man was up to something when he smirked so smugly at him earlier that day, but he'd not given it any thought (knowing if he did, he'd be tempted to throttle the man). He'd not thought anything of it when he was called into one of the senior partner's office to begin handling a case. He'd been on his way out to pick up Sora when his secretary had gotten the call for him to meet with Mr. Valentine in the sixth floor conference room. Vincent Valentine was one of the founding lawyers for the firm Max worked at, along with his partner Cid Highwind. Though a bit eccentric with his strange attire of black suits and long red overcoat, the dark-haired man was one of the city's most successful attorneys. He looked to be quite young, his face youthful, especially when he let his hair be unbound to cascade around his shoulders and upper back. Max thought he was a little creepy, his brooding air and quiet demeanor the complete opposite of his business partner.

Cid Highwind was a loud, brash blond in his mid-forties. His booming voice could be heard echoing around the office when he'd come to their floor (which thankfully wasn't very often), his blue eyes expressive of his emotions unlike Vincent's emotionless brown. Max never could understand how they ended up together in business.

He'd felt bad about texting Sora to take the bus home, a feeling in his gut nagging him that something wasn't right. It wasn't until the meeting with his new client was over did he find out from Lydia, after returning to his office, that Xemnas had been snooping into his personal calendar while he'd been out at lunch and that his new client had actually been Xemnas'. Xemnas had gone to Vincent and basically dumped the client onto Max, making sure to do so just before Max was to leave to pick up Sora. He'd timed it so he could guarantee his son would be alone and vulnerable. After hearing that, he'd rushed home, all while frantically calling Sora's phone and praying that Sora was at the house and alright. He now knew he'd have to keep an extra close watch on his son to keep him safe. A thoughtful look came onto his face as he again turned to Riku. He'd proven himself to Max by protecting Sora today, so maybe he could count on him to continue to do so.

"I want to thank you for helping Sora," he said. Riku nodded, a little uncomfortable at the intense gaze focused on him. It seemed Max had something to ask him, and indeed he did.

"I can't really go into the details, not without talking to Sora first, but can you help me keep an eye on him? I can't be with him in the day, and I'd feel better knowing someone was with him at all times."

"Of course," Riku answered, both in complete agreement about keeping Sora safe.

** x**

Sora sat huddled on his bed, staring aimlessly out his window. Kairi was sitting next to him, not saying anything. She wanted to ask him what was going on, but she didn't want to scare him away. He'd actually let her touch him, and she didn't want to ruin the progress she'd made by being too nosy.

Sighing, Sora tried to get his mind settled. He was a bit surprised at himself that he'd let Kairi touch him. Maybe it was because she's a girl…? All he knew was that for the past three months, the mere thought of someone laying a hand on him made him want to be physically ill. He hated feeling this way. He was always the first one to give a hug, or console someone when they were upset. And now when he's the one who needs consoling, he can't stand human contact.

A tear slipped from the corner of an azure eye; he was so tired of being like this. He wanted his life back. It wasn't fair to Kairi to keep her in the dark; all she wanted to do was help him. So he decided it was time to let her know what had happened.

"Kairi…" his voice came out rough. He'd hardly talked since _it_ had happened, and his voice was scratchy from disuse. "I need you to promise me you won't tell anyone else what I'm about to tell you." Kairi's head had popped up from its position on her hand where she'd been leaning on it, and her dark blue eyes widened in the realization that Sora was finally going to let her in on whatever's been bothering him.

"Don't worry, Sora. I won't tell anybody if you don't want me to," she vowed. She sat straight, giving Sora silent support.

"T-that man today, who Riku saw," he began, stuttering slightly, "he works at the same firm as my dad. His name's Xemnas. I don't really know much about him; he used to come over sometimes to pick up papers for my dad, or they'd have meetings or whatever in his office. I never really liked him, he always kinda creeped me out with the way he'd stare at me."

Kairi suddenly got a foreboding feeling. A frisson of unease ran down her spine. _Please tell me it's not what I think it is… _Tears came unbidden to her eyes at the rest of Sora's story as her fear was realized.

"H-he came over o-one day, just before school e-ended," liquid trailed down Sora's cheeks as he spoke softly, stuttering slightly, not able to meet her eyes. "My dad w-wasn't home, and he-he grabbed me. He-he-"Sora had to force himself to say it. "He raped me." Sobs tore out of him, shaking his thin body. He rocked himself to and fro, the memories coming back to him full force.

Kairi cried silently along with Sora. She did what her instincts told her, and enveloped Sora in her arms. He stiffened slightly, then slumped in her embrace as they both wept. She had suspected something bad had happened to him, but never in her wildest dreams would she have thought that Sora had been raped. Now she could understand his loathing of being touched and the skittish way he acted around people now.

They sat there a while, Kairi offering as much comfort as Sora would allow. Her heart hurt that he'd had to deal with this on his own. She couldn't even imagine how lonely and scared he must have felt. And she and Riku certainly hadn't made things any easier, trying to get him to open up and act like his old self when they had no concept of what he'd been through.

Sniffling, Kairi wiped her eyes and noticed the time on Sora's alarm clock. They'd been up here for nearly an hour; Riku was probably wondering what was going on. She let go of Sora, pulling back and seeing him sit up on the edge of the bed, brushing his own tears away.

"Why didn't you tell us? Tell _me_?" she asked softly. She wasn't angry; she was sad that he hadn't confided in her and let her help him in any way, but she could understand why he didn't.

Sora kept his head low, not looking up. "I couldn't. I felt so ashamed; how could I have let it happen? I mean, I must have done something for him to look at me like that-"

"Don't you blame yourself! It was not your fault!" Kairi's words stunned him with their heat. "Blame the monster who hurt you! You did nothing wrong, Sora. There was no way you could have known something like that would happen to you." He finally glanced at her, and didn't see what he'd feared: disgust. Instead, her blue eyes were full of pain and sadness, but also warmth and love for him. Kairi smiled wanly at him, showing him that she would support him in this from now on.

A thought occurred to her. "What about Riku? Are you going to tell him?" She saw Sora's face blanch in panic. _Okay, bad idea. _

"I'm sorry, I can't. I don't want him to know. I-I know he wants to be friends again, but you remember how he was when he found out I was gay. I don't think I could handle anything like that happening again." Sora's voice choked, his eyes tearing up again. Kairi didn't press the issue; she actually agreed with Sora to a degree. She'd seen how cruel everyone had treated Sora when he'd come out (unintentionally, thanks to her bitch of a sister), and how Riku's reaction had hurt him the most. She wouldn't subject him to that again.

"Alright, I won't say anything to Riku. Let's go back downstairs and make sure he's still here and didn't leave when we disappeared on him." She smiled at him, holding her hand out to him to pull him to his feet. Her spirit soared when he took her hand, albeit a little reluctantly, using it to haul himself to his feet and following her out of the room.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters, nor do I make any profit from this story.

**AN:** So sorry for the wait! This chapter is a bit shorter than I'd intended, because Greyy actually wrote the ending for this chapter just before her computer crashed and died. Since she hasn't gotten her new one yet (she should have it in the next day or so) I'm going to add what she wrote as the beginning of chapter 12 as soon as she's able to send it to me.

Thanks to **PinkFloydLady7** (please don't hate me!), **JuliaSuna**, **windyhurrice**, **Chicchai Tenshi**, **jtwsnw20**, and **Yumi-nachan** for your reviews.

**Chapter 11**

The next few weeks went by fairly quickly. School had been settled into a basic routine for Sora; he might not like having to go, but so far nothing bad or awkward had occurred. Max had straightened his work schedule out so he had the afternoons free to pick Sora up from school. He'd gone to Vincent and explained the situation (not about Xemnas; he simply told Vincent that his son had been having problems and needed close supervision after school). Vincent told Max to make sure he didn't neglect his clients, and as long as he got the work done and showed up for all his court dates he had no problem with it. It had been Max's turn to smirk smugly at Xemnas when the white-haired man had been called into Cid's office to take back the case he'd originally dumped onto Max.

Kairi was glad to see some change in Sora. He wasn't the lively teen he'd been a year ago, but it was nice to see him not as closed off. She still had yet to get a laugh from him, but he had smiled a few times; it was almost like a weight had been lifted off of him. He still wasn't comfortable with anyone touching him or being around a lot of people, but he _was_ making progress, though slowly.

But Riku, on the other hand, was pretty much avoiding her. She'd only seen him a handful of times ever since Sora had confided in her and not him; they'd actually gotten into a couple of arguments about it because Kairi refused to divulge Sora's secret. She wasn't purposely trying to exclude Riku, but she'd promised Sora she wouldn't tell Riku, and she intended to keep that promise.

_**~Flashback~**_

_Riku had been waiting anxiously for Kairi and Sora to come back downstairs. He'd been pacing nervously for more than half an hour after Sora's dad had asked him to help keep an eye on the brunet. Riku had been seriously contemplating just going upstairs and seeing what was taking so long, when he turned from mid-pace and found Kairi heading towards him._

"_Well?"_

_Kairi sighed. "He's okay, he just needs to be alone right now," she told him._

_A look of annoyance came over Riku's features. "Did you find out what's wrong with him? Or about why that guy was trying to take him?" His curiosity was killing him._

_Kairi could hear the perturbed quality to Riku's tone. She didn't like keeping things from him, but Sora didn't want him to know, and she wouldn't betray his trust. No matter how angry Riku got. "Yeah, he told me."_

_When nothing else was said, Riku hissed, "And?" He was starting to get really pissed at Kairi; how the hell is he supposed to help Sora when no one would tell him the fucking facts?_

"_I'm sorry, Riku. But if Sora wants you to know, he'll tell you. Right now he's not ready for anyone else to know."_

"_Damn it Kairi, don't pull that shit with me! I'm just as worried about Sora as you are, and you can't really expect me to help him when I don't even know what the hell's going on!" Riku stood in front of the redhead, his posture stiff from anger._

_But Kairi wasn't backing down. "I'm sorry. He'll tell you if he wants you to know; I promised him I wouldn't say anything." She flinched minutely at the look in the aqua orbs staring her down._

_Riku stormed about the room, wanting to break something in his frustration. "We both know he's not gonna tell me anything, Kairi. He always used to tell me everything! Now I can't even get him to look at me."_

_Listening to Riku moaning and bitching in self-pity, something in Kairi snapped. "Well you haven't exactly endeared yourself to him this last year, have you?" Riku's head jerked around in her direction, his bright eyes widening at her words as he fell silent. "Do you remember how you ignored him? How __**you**__ wouldn't even look at __**him**__? How do you think Sora feels? His best friend turned on him, wouldn't talk to him, hell you even had the teacher reassign your seat in homeroom so you wouldn't have to sit near him! And you wonder why he won't confide in you." Shame-filled aquamarine looked down._

_Seeing Riku's stricken face, Kairi softened her voice. "I'm sorry this hurts, but it needed saying. You've treated Sora like dirt, and it's gonna take a while before he can trust you again. Just give him some space, and be there for him when he needs you." She didn't regret her words, but she still hated the way Riku's shoulders slumped in defeat. When the silver-haired teen remained quiet, Kairi sighed again and went back upstairs. She sat beside Sora, and both watched as Riku left and began walking home moments later._

_**~End flashback~**_

Riku had thought over what Kairi had said, and couldn't help but agree with her. He had treated Sora like crap the past year, and he really couldn't blame him if he wanted absolutely nothing to do with him ever again. It certainly didn't help when he found himself battling his new feelings for Sora. He stayed away from Kairi due to his shame at what he'd done to his friends, but he stayed away from Sora because he wanted to touch him, just be near him. He knew Sora still didn't allow anybody to be close, and it would be really bad if Riku destroyed what little progress he'd made by scaring the younger teen away permanently simply because he couldn't keep his hands to himself.

He also kept a keen eye on the brunet. He made sure that Sora was with someone at all times, feeling almost like a stalker as he trailed after him. Riku was beginning to understand how Sora felt; he hated not being part of their little group. It was like he was outside, looking in, and he hated it. He wanted to hold Sora's hand (as corny as that sounded, even in his head), he wanted to hear him laugh, or just see him smile the way he used to.

Currently, Riku was sitting in Science class, listening to his uncle Vexen teach them about particle atoms or something like that. Sora, who shared the same class, was seated at the desk next to him. Riku hadn't really been paying attention to what the teacher was saying, lost in his own thoughts, so it was with a bit of a start that he heard the bell ring. He glanced over at Sora, who was putting his books in his bag, when he heard his name called.

"Riku!" Kairi ran up to him. She'd come straight from her last class, hoping to catch the silver-headed teen before he left. She panted, trying to get her breath back before giving a sheepish grin. "We're having a sort of sleepover tonight at my house, and I was hoping you might wanna come?" It was her way of making a sort of truce between them, and Riku grabbed it with relief. He smiled softly at her, nodding.

"Sure. Who all will be there?"

"Well, Sora's coming, right Sora?" Kairi shot a smile at the brunet, who nodded, "and Tidus. I'm not sure if Selphie's coming or not, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to since she has some family thing tomorrow."

"Sounds good. So what did you have in mind to do tonight?" Riku asked as they made their way to their lockers to dump their books. They got lucky; it was Friday, and there was no homework to disrupt their weekend.

Kairi shrugged as she closed her locker and they began walking again. They passed through the front doors of the school and into the warm late summer sunshine, walking past other students eager to start the weekend. "Nothing much. Just order some pizza or something, and I was gonna rent some DVD's for us. We haven't done anything as a group in like forever, so I thought it'd be nice to just hang out again."

Riku knew that was his fault, but he wouldn't let that get him down. He'd get to spend some time with Sora, so that was a definite plus. His eyes met ocean blue briefly before Sora turned away, but not before Sora had given him a tentative smile.

Fighting back a happy grin at the smile he'd gotten, Riku glanced at Kairi. "Is your mom picking you up?"

Kairi shook her head negatively. "No, she's working 'til about five, so I have to ride the bus today." Sora spoke to her quietly, pointing to where his father was waiting inside his car. "You can ride with us, I'm sure my dad won't mind."

Suddenly Riku had a thought. "Hey, since we're all gonna be staying over at your house, why don't you guys just ride with me? I drove my car today." Kairi's face lit up, and even Sora looked slightly thrilled at the idea. They'd both wanted to ride in the muscle car ever since Riku had first gotten it, and now it looked like they might get their chance.

"That sounds like fun! Let me go get Tidus, and while I do that Sora you can go ask your dad." Kairi bounded off to find her boyfriend, and Sora and Riku walked over to where Max was patiently waiting. Since it was Riku who would be driving, Max had no problem with it and allowed Sora to ride with him. Kairi came back, Tidus in tow, just as Max drove away, and the four headed to the student parking lot to Riku's car.

** x**

Unknown to the teens currently climbing into the sleek dark red Mustang, a lone man sat in his car watching them. Or, more precisely, watching Sora. As soon as the car pulled out of the school parking lot, he cranked his own and began tailing them. He made sure to keep his distance and not alert them to his presence; this _is_ what he'd made his living in for the past fifteen years.

Xigbar followed discreetly three car lengths behind his target. He didn't use a last name; since he'd been orphaned as a young child and had never known his true surname he simply didn't bother with one. He was doing this 'surveillance' as a favor for Xemnas. He'd known the man for most of his life. They'd met when they were in grade school, both being in the same third-grade class together. Xigbar had been small for his age then, and a couple of boys were picking on him when Xemnas came to his aid. He had been immediately taken under the strange white-haired boy's wing, and they'd remained friends to this day. He'd even changed his first name to one with an 'X' so he could be like Xemnas; he honestly couldn't remember his real name now since he'd been going by Xigbar for so long. They didn't keep in very close contact at times, but whenever Xigbar was in town they tended to get together.

He wasn't so small now. He stood at a nice 6'4", his body a solid 220 pounds in muscle. He had long black hair with gray stripes that he kept in a ponytail, and his one revealed eye was a light golden yellow. He'd lost his right eye on one of his missions a few years ago; he was known to be one of the top mercenaries for hire now (he didn't care what the job was, as long as it paid enough), but he'd been careless on that particular job and it had cost him his eye. His last job, protecting a drug lord in South America, had ended fairly well; no one had been killed, and he'd earned a cool $50,000. He had gotten into a bit of an altercation with one of the man's other bodyguards, and he now had a jagged scar running down the left side of his face from his chin to just under his eye. The other man wasn't so lucky; Xigbar had broken both his arms in so many places that the bodyguard had to have extensive surgery to repair them just for him to even move them, but he'd had some severe nerve damage in the process. Needless to say the man would never work as a bodyguard again.

Seeing that the Mustang was pulling into the driveway of a nice two-story brick home, Xigbar parked the dark blue 2006 Honda Civic sedan along the curb and continued his surveillance of the brunette kid. Personally, he'd much rather trail the pretty little redheaded girl, but the brown-haired boy is who Xemnas wants. He frowned; he couldn't help but recall how zealously Xemnas had talked about the boy. Xigbar had little to no scruples and even less morality, but he'd actually gotten a chill down his spine at the maniacal gleam in his friend's eyes when he'd gone on about this Sora kid.

Shrugging the thoughts off, he settled down in the comfortable front seat to wait as the teens climbed out of the silver-haired boy's car and went into the house. For now he would just maintain his watch on Sora, but if the time came where the boy was alone and he could grab him, then that's what he was to do.

** x**

"C'mon, Kairi, let's go!" Riku shouted as he stood next to his car. Sora was opposite him, standing next to the passenger's door as Kairi and Tidus and finally ran out the front door of her house and clambered into the backseat. Sora sat up front, much to Riku's delight. He loved having the brunet in the seat next to him, even though they didn't touch. His arm itched to reach over and wrap around Sora's shoulders, but he knew it'd freak the other teen out given the way he'd been acting lately.

They drove to Blockbuster, and since Sora and Kairi didn't really like horror movies, they picked out a few comedies. Kairi had been dying to see 'The Hangover', and Sora picked 'Inglourious Basterds'. Riku and Tidus both decided on 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen', and after checking out their choices they then headed for the grocery store for some popcorn and soda for snacks during the movies. Selphie called Kairi while they were in the store, letting her know she wouldn't be able to make it. It was getting dark by the time they got back to Kairi's house, and as they entered the home her parents met them on their way out. "We left some money for you to get some food, we'll be back around eleven or so, sweetie. Bye!" Kairi's mom told them as they shut the front door behind them; they were headed out for their weekly date of dinner and a movie or dancing. Kairi thought it was cute how they still kept up their dating after all their years together.

Kairi ushered them into the living room, and as she called for the pizza Riku ambled into the room further. He'd not been in the house in over a year, but it hadn't really changed. The white couch and loveseat were in the corner, adjacent to each other, with a large light oak coffee table in front of the sofa. A burgundy recliner sat next to the matching in-table on the other side of the couch, and a 32" T.V. was placed in front of the window across from the couch. Some potted plants and one small fichus tree were in haphazard places all over the room, and family pictures adorned the walls and shelves of the entertainment center on each side of the television. The hardwood floor, a medium oak that was close to the same color as the tables, was bare but for one small area rug in shades of brown, red and tan in front of the couch.

Sitting down on the loveseat, Riku watched as Sora took a seat on the chair. Tidus plonked down on the sofa, and moments later Kairi joined him. "Pizza will be here in about half an hour," she informed them as she moved to put in one of the DVD's.

An hour later, after eating their fill of pizza and nearly done with the first movie, Kairi and Tidus were cuddled together on the couch, the redhead's back curled up on Tidus' chest with their hands entwined. But Riku wasn't paying any attention to them. His eyes kept straying to Sora, sitting quietly in the chair across from him. As hard as he tried, Riku couldn't keep his gaze from settling on the brunet. He continually watched how Sora's mouth perked up at the corners at a funny part in the movie, and he found himself wondering how it'd feel to kiss him. He knew he'd felt a growing attraction for Sora, and the way he was feeling now just confirmed it.

Noticing the two on the couch, Riku felt a small surge of envy. He wished he and Sora could sit together like that, with him holding the smaller boy in his arms. Regret filled him as he thought of all the time he'd wasted, ignoring Sora and treating him like dirt while refusing to confront his true feelings.

Getting up, Riku excused himself and headed for the front door. He stepped outside and stood on the front step, breathing in the warm air to help calm his nerves (he'd been ready to virtually pounce on Sora when he saw the brunet bite his bottom lip at a scene in the movie) as Kairi and Tidus exchanged puzzled glances at Riku's behavior. Sora turned from the movie, giving a questioning look at the front door before meeting Kairi's gaze and shrugging, turning back to the movie.

Riku sat on the stoop, idly swatting away mosquitoes in the humid heat as he exhaled loudly. He then noticed a dark car parked across the street, and recognizing the bright yellow rental plate on the front bumper realized it was the same one he'd seen earlier when they'd come out of the video store, and later the grocery store. He hadn't really paid any attention to it, as it was a very popular make and model of Honda, but seeing it now sent a curl of unease down his spine. He stood, his gaze still locked onto the vehicle when it suddenly cranked and pulled out, slowly driving away down the road. Riku stayed in place, that uneasy feeling still there even after the car's lights had faded in the distance.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters, nor do I make any money from this story.

**AN:** This chapter was a bit of a struggle, I had to rewrite the ending part I don't know how many times. HUGE thanks to my co-author Greyy (Sephirothlover845), who wrote most of the Seph/Cloud part. :D

Thanks to **vIoLeT bUtTeRfLy 90**, **Gussie**, **Kairi Dragon**, **Rose Riku**, **JuliaSuna**, **Don Seira**, and **xXxSmidgexXx** for your reviews. You guys are awesome!

**Chapter 12**

Sephiroth watched as Cloud played in the cool water with his dog Tinker Bell. He hadn't been all that happy at seeing the small animal, but she made Cloud happy, so he couldn't begrudge the affection she got from his lover. He was currently lying on a soft blanket that Cloud had gotten from his apartment, one he kept for the spare bedroom.

The blond had been a bit surprised when Sephiroth had suggested a day at the beach. He would've never pegged the older man to be an outside person, but he had to admit the idea of spending a day at the beach with his boyfriend sounded really good. Sephiroth had called in today and received a personal day, and Cloud had done the same. It was nearing three o'clock, they'd been here for a little over an hour after stopping at a local seafood restaurant for lunch. Tinker Bell hadn't been too happy to stay in the car while they ate, but she'd quickly been appeased when Cloud had brought her a piece of his fish and some shrimp.

Emerald eyes watched the tanned body of his lover, enjoying the view of a slender yet muscled chest, soggy shorts hugging a slim waist and taut thighs. His mind roiled in jealousy as he noticed several other men and a few women ogling _his_ blond. He kept a cool, emotionless expression on his face as Cloud continued to play with his poodle in the ocean, oblivious to the stares he was getting.

Cloud ran faster through the cool water after his small puppy, his short blond hair blowing in the wind. As he laughed joyously, the rays of the sun shining down on his pale skin, warm droplets of salt water ran down his bare torso, slipping under his baggy swimming trunks.

He gasped for breath as he finally caught up to his small black toy poodle, and swooped down grabbing the wet animal and cradling it close to his body before collapsing into the water, still laughing breathlessly and hugging the dog close.

He gasped for breath, trying to calm his laughter but to no avail. He felt his chest rise and fall gradually as his laughing calmed. But he couldn't help the goofy smile that covered his face. He loved the beach, and there wasn't a more perfect day to be at the beach than today. Cloud lifted his head towards the sky, his blond hair falling down his neck, idle strands blowing into his face. The sun was shining, not a cloud in sight, and the wind was blowing gently. It was just another perfect day in Point Destiny.

Cloud shook his head and stood, stretching as best as he could with Tinker Bell in his arms. He gave one more look at the water before he turned, walking out of the sandy water and towards his spot on the crowded beach.

There were dozens of people on the small beach; it was practically a strip of land surrounded by mangrove trees and slightly murky water. But even though the place was small, and the water wasn't what you'd call beautiful, many people came here. Well, many dog lovers did, as it was a beach for dogs. Anyone could come of course, but many preferred a beach you didn't have to walk through two feet of muddy water to get to.

As Cloud reached his spot on the small strip of land, he collapsed onto his towel next to his reclining boyfriend, setting Tinker Bell on the small doggy towel next to him. He lay back, stretching his sore muscles. It had been a long week, with all the working and 'office' parties that had been going on all week he was exhausted.

Sometimes he hated being popular; after all, he wasn't very special. He wasn't even what everyone thought he was. He knew he would never understand why so many people liked him. He was ordinary, nothing special besides the fact that he looked somewhat like a girl. He hated admitting it, but from behind anyone could easily mistake him for a woman. Because of his slim hourglass figure that made his hips stick out and curvy waist. And as the guys on the football team used to say, 'They were just begging to be gripped.'

Yeah, he didn't get it either. Sure his hips were a bit girly, but that didn't mean every guy he saw had to just grab them. If they would just look past his bleach blond hair they could clearly see he was a guy. His face wasn't girly; you could definitely still tell he was male.

Though if he was to be truthful his blue eyes were the only thing he could freely admit he actually liked about himself. He loved that when he put eyeliner on for special occasions, it framed his eyes, making them look glossy and sharp; it made them look dangerous, and it made him _feel_ dangerous. It was such a difference from what he actually was, that he barely used it.

Because it wasn't him, wasn't _who_ he was. And he hated lying, even if he wasn't technically doing it; he hated the thought of making someone believe he was something he was not.

Because he had already done it so many times, because he had lied so many times, that he felt like another lie would shatter him. He hated lying but still he did it; he hated the fact that every time he did he felt like someone could see right through him, and was just waiting for the opportune moment to shout it out to the world.

He hated attention, because attention meant more lies, and more lies meant more sleepless nights. He wished more than anything, that he could move far away from here. Move someplace where no one knew him, so he could start over from scratch, where he could find friends that liked the real him… not friends who liked the fake him. The him that he sold like a book, the him that was exciting, the him everyone loved.

Cloud shook his head, attempting to rid himself of his disturbing thoughts. He was going to give himself a migraine if he kept thinking of all this. He let his eyes drift closed, and willed himself to relax. Letting his mind think good thoughts, slowly he felt his body relax.

Cloud didn't know how long he lay there, but suddenly he felt a shadow come over him. He could tell it was a person because no cloud could make a shadow like that. Cloud let himself be pulled out of his relaxed state, and his eyes drifted open, landing on a stranger's tan face. He blinked; god this man was striking. With his short straight brown hair that fell onto his forehead, and his full plump lips. And not to mention his dark brown eyes that hypnotized you like a spell.

Maybe he was still dreaming; he had to be. Because this man was stunning in the beach surfer way, but that didn't matter to him though.

"Uh, hi?" he greeted lamely. Great, a super hot guy comes up to him, and that's all he could come up with?

"Hi." His voice was just as stunning as he was, his thick Southern accent making those simple words sound so seductive. "I believe this is yours," he said, holding up Tinker Bell.

Oh well, Cloud felt bad now; he had left Tinker Bell unattended while he was sleeping. Cloud sat up and took Tinker Bell from his arms, smiling gently at her. She was wagging her tail and breathing rapidly, a look of pure contentment on her face. "Oh, I'm sorry, I must have dozed off." Cloud paused then added, "Thanks so much for bringing her back to me, there's so many dogs here I would have never found her."

He nodded. "No problem."

Cloud smiled. "Well, thank you anyway."

"That guy checked you out," Sephiroth said, his voice smooth and silky, as soon as the stranger walked away.

Cloud turned his head, his eyes landing on Sephiroth's creamy pale face. He blinked; god, his boyfriend was beautiful. He felt embarrassed that he had just been checking out that guy. But you couldn't blame him; he was so tired of all the lies, tired of hiding his and Sephiroth's relationship. But still, no one could ever compare to Sephiroth's beauty. With his long straight silver hair that fell down his back, and his lush lips. And not to mention his dark emerald green eyes that Cloud could stare into for hours.

"Really?" Cloud replied, following Sephiroth's line of vision, and spotting the good-looking brunette he'd just spoken to.

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed. "Yeah."

Cloud giggled, blushing a bit. He wasn't used to getting attention; everyone knew Sephiroth, and no one ever messed with what belonged to him. No one really _knew_ about them; Cloud knew deep down they all knew Sephiroth had some sort of interest for him, but no solid proof of their relationship. And one thing you don't want to do is mess with the boss' love interest. So usually he only got looks when he wasn't around Sephiroth, which was never.

Sephiroth growled and caught Cloud's chin between his hands. "What the fuck are you giggling about?" See he wasn't lying when he said that Sephiroth was a jealous controlling asshole that kept him on a tight leash. Well sometimes anyway; other times he was a sweet, loving, life-sized teddy bear. But when he felt like it he could be such a possessive ass.

Cloud rolled his eyes at his boyfriend, and kissed him briefly on the mouth. Nothing more than a simple touch of lips. Sephiroth wasn't big on PDA's (public displays of affection).

"Nothing Seph," he said.

"Whatever," Sephiroth grumbled, letting go of him and sitting up. "Let's get the hell out of here, I'm hungry." Cloud sighed as he stood, rolling the blanket up as he clipped Tinker Bell's leash back onto her collar. He followed Sephiroth to his car, laying the blanket in the backseat and putting the poodle on top of it before shutting the door and climbing into the front seat.

Sephiroth slid into the driver's seat and slammed his door shut loudly, earning a sidelong glance from Cloud. He started the car, put it in reverse and pulled out of the parking lot near the beach. He focused on driving, ignoring the blond next to him as he thought. He was angry, but more at himself than Cloud. The way Cloud had reacted to that guy on the beach bothered him; it felt like he was losing his lover's attention, and it was his fault.

The ride to Cloud's apartment was silent, both men in deep thought. Cloud hated that he had to hide his relationship with Sephiroth, but he loved the man too much to leave. But he knew if this continued as it was, he'd be forced to eventually or it'd break him.

Turning into the parking lot for the residents of Cloud's building, Sephiroth shut the car engine off and sat for a few moments. Cloud raised a brow at him in question, "Seph?" When he got no answer he just shrugged and unbuckled his seat belt, stepping out of the car and retrieving Tinker Bell and the blanket. He walked up to the entrance to his building and saw that Sephiroth was still just sitting there. "Maybe he'll come up later, huh girl?" he asked the dog, who yipped at the query and licked his cheek. Punching in his code, Cloud opened the door and walked to the elevator, the doors only taking a second to open after the button was pushed.

Sephiroth finally snapped out of his thoughts as he realized he was alone in the car. He'd come to a decision, and with determination he got out of the vehicle and followed his boyfriend into the apartment building (Cloud had given him his security code months ago). He tapped the elevator button impatiently, watching as the light above signaled that it was slowly traversing back down to the first floor. With a soft ping, the doors slid open and he strode inside, hitting the 5th floor button. His nerves were now starting to get the better of him, but he was firm in what he'd decided.

Cloud ran to open the door of his apartment, the loud pounding sure to bring a neighbor or two out and grumbling. It was with a bit of surprise that he recognized Sephiroth, and he stood aside to allow him into his home.

"What's wrong? Are you still an-" Cloud's words were cut off as he was drawn into a hard embrace and lips covered his. He moaned before twining his arms around Sephiroth's neck, his mouth opening up as a warm tongue speared into him; no matter if he was upset or angry, he never could resist Sephiroth's touch. They kissed for endless minutes before Sephiroth pulled back, both men breathing heavily as they stared at each other. Before Cloud could even open his mouth again, Sephiroth cupped his face and said pleadingly, "Move in with me."

Azure eyes widened in shock. "B-but I thought… Your kids… Wait, do you mean it?" Happiness and confusion warred inside the blond. This is what he'd wanted for so long, but never thought would happen in a million years.

Sephiroth sighed wearily. "Riku already knows, and to be honest I don't think Zex or Fuu will really care. I just used them as an excuse because I was scared, but today made me realize that I don't want to lose you. I'm not ashamed of you, I never was. And now I want everyone to know that you're mine." Fierce green gazed down at the stunned Cloud, hoping and waiting for a positive response. He hadn't made this decision idly; in fact, he'd been mulling it over for nearly a month, but had been worried about what other people might think instead of listening to his heart. But he loved Cloud, and he refused to lose him because of his own issues.

With a little whoop, Cloud jumped up into Sephiroth's arms. "Yes!" he yelled, planting kisses all over Sephiroth's face. A happy grin settled on the silver-haired man's lips as his arms tightened around the slim body of his lover. His hands braced under Cloud's thighs, he hoisted the blond up, their mouths locked together and Cloud's legs wrapping around Sephiroth's hips as they stumbled into the bedroom.

** x**

Riku woke early that Saturday morning, the living room still slightly dark as the sun's rays peeked through the blinds on the windows. Sitting up on the couch, he stretched and yawned, the bones popping along his back and neck. His silver hair was in mild disarray, some of it standing up in crazy spikes and pointing in every which direction. Getting up, he glanced at the clock on the wall above the love seat, and saw that it was only a little after 6 a.m. He gave a heated glare at the couch as he moved a bit stiffly. _Comfortable my ass._ He walked past a still sleeping Tidus, sprawled out on the laid-back recliner.

Yawning again, Riku shuffled slowly into the downstairs bathroom to pee, then headed into the kitchen for something to eat. Kairi had told him to help himself to whatever they had for breakfast, so he grabbed a box of Rice Krispies and a gallon pitcher of milk, settling down at the small table in the corner of the kitchen to eat.

As he ate his cereal, Riku listened for any signs of Kairi or Sora being awake yet. Sora had been given the upstairs guest bedroom to sleep in, which was right next to Kairi's bedroom. He figured it was a bit early for anyone else to wake up, and he was normally a morning person anyway. He finished his second bowl of cereal and was just putting the box and milk away when he heard his cellphone ring. A snort from Tidus indicated that the blond was waking up, but Riku ignored him and dug through his bag for his phone.

Checking the number, he saw it was his dad. "Hey Dad, what's up?"

"_Riku, I need you and your brother and sister home as soon as you can,"_ Sephiroth's calm tone came clearly over the phone. Riku raised a brow; something was up.

"Yeah, sure. Give me a couple of hours, no one else is up yet, and I don't want to just leave without telling Kairi or Sora."

A noncommittal grunt was his reply. _"Very well,"_ Sephiroth then agreed, hanging up. Riku shook his head; his dad had always been an early riser, but to be this alert at not even seven on a Saturday morning? He sat back down on the couch, pondering what could be so important that his father wanted to speak to them about.

After sitting for almost ten minutes, Riku, annoyed by the sounds of Tidus' light snoring and muttering in his sleep, grabbed the remote (though he'd been tempted to grab a cushion and throw it at the blond's head) and surfed the channels for something to watch. He settled on watching music videos, and it was about an hour later when he heard light footsteps trod down the stairs, and a thoroughly tousled Sora came into view. His chocolate spikes were in wild disarray, his cerulean orbs still drowsy-looking. Riku found it hard to look away; Sora was just so adorable. He was in a pair of pale blue pajama pants and a plain white t-shirt, the pants almost too long on him and brushing over his feet with every step.

Just behind the brunet, Kairi walked down the stairs in her pink pajama shorts and shirt, fuzzy pink slippers on her feet. She was yawning, a smile lighting her face as she noticed that Riku was awake. "Hey," her voice was a bit husky from sleep, "you want some breakfast?" Sora was opening a cabinet and taking down some bowls for cereal, putting one back when Riku answered that he'd already eaten, and getting the milk. Following Sora, Kairi went into the pantry next to the entrance into the large kitchen and took out a box of Cocoa Pebbles for Sora, since she knew he loved chocolate, and the box of Rice Krispies Riku had gotten earlier. She set the boxes down on the small square pine table situated in the corner of the kitchen near the dining room after grabbing a couple of spoons. A large bay window was behind the table, letting in a lot of light into the room and showing a view of the backyard. The cabinets and counters were white and formed an L shape along the wall by the back door, the walls painted a pale yellow which made the room airy and seem bigger than it actually was. The plain white tiled floor was mostly bare but for a welcome mat at the back door, and a small rug in front of the sink. Various pictures of fruit adorned the walls, matching the bowl of fruit in the center of the table.

Riku took a seat across from Sora at the table. "My dad called a while ago, he needs me to be home for something. But you guys wanna hang out after?" Though he asked both of his friends, it was Sora he was eying for an answer. At the boy's affirmative nod, he glanced at Kairi for her small smirk; she'd seen how he was closely watching Sora, and her knowing grin made him blush a bit. But he didn't care; he'd get to be with Sora more today. Nothing would get him down!

After finishing eating, Sora changed back into his clothes from the day before and decided to ride with Riku to his house; the older teen would take him home so he could shower, and they'd meet up with Kairi and Tidus, who'd woken up while they were eating, later at the mall. Sora was a little anxious about being alone with Riku, but his fear of other people near him didn't really pop up around Riku. Something inside him told him that Riku would never hurt him the way Xemnas had. He was still uncomfortable with someone touching him, but Riku had kept his distance and stayed out of his personal space, for which Sora was grateful.

It was almost 10:30 by the time they arrived at Riku's house. Riku led Sora into his house, the brunet taking a seat on the large couch as Riku went in search of his father. Not knowing how long Riku would be gone, Sora took out his cell and began checking his voicemail and any texts he may have. A happy smile lit his as he read a text from his cousin Roxas; he and his dad Angeal, Max's younger brother by only two years, were moving to Point Destiny in a few weeks, and Roxas would be transferring to his school.

Finished with his phone, Sora looked around the living room, noting it hadn't really changed since he'd last been there. His head swiveled towards the doorway leading into the kitchen as Riku came back into the room. The teen had a slightly bewildered look on his face, but smiled as soon as he saw Sora.

"I'm gonna get a quick shower, then we'll head over to your house, okay?"

Sora nodded, watching Riku dash upstairs. He wondered why Riku had looked almost shocked, but shook the thought away. He sat on the sofa; he could faintly hear voices coming from the kitchen, but couldn't make any words out.

Not ten minutes later Riku returned, silver hair still damp from the shower. He was dressed in black jeans and a plain yellow t-shirt, black tennis shoes on his feet.

"You ready to go?" Riku asked. Sora answered 'yes' quietly, standing and putting his phone in his pocket. Riku jogged back into the kitchen to tell Sephiroth he was leaving, then followed Sora out to his car.

It was silent as Riku turned onto the highway. Sora gazed out his window before looking over at Riku. "Is everything alright?" he asked almost hesitantly.

Riku glanced at Sora briefly before turning his attention back to the road. "Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Well, you seemed almost weirded out after talking with your dad."

Riku chuckled. "Nah, just more surprised than anything." At Sora's blank look he continued. "My dad was letting me and my brother and sister know that his boyfriend is moving in."

Sora's mouth gaped open like a fish. His brain fought to digest the words he'd just been told. Riku's father is gay, and he's not pitching a fit?

Seeing Sora's dumbfounded expression, Riku couldn't help but laugh.

"So – so you're okay with it?"

Surprisingly, Riku nodded. "Yeah. Cloud makes my dad happy, and he seems like a really nice guy. I think it'll be kinda cool to have a 'stepmom'." He smirked at the thought of what the petite blond would do if Riku called him 'stepmom' to his face.

Sora stayed silent, thinking over everything Riku had just told him. He honestly didn't know what to say; Riku, the boy whom he'd been in love with and been rejected quite harshly by, had just told him that he was okay with his father being gay and moving his lover into their house.

At the brunet's silence, Riku cast a worried glance toward him to find Sora watching him with a contemplative look. He gave his old bright smile to Riku before once more gazing out the window, making the older teen grin goofily. He felt like another hurdle had been overcome between him and Sora, making him hope that now maybe they could get closer.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters, nor do I make any profit from this story.

**AN:** I'm so sorry for the wait! I wrote the ending of this chapter last night and tonight, my co-author is unfortunately suffering a major bout of writer's block, so I may be going solo for a while. But I already have part of the next chapter done, so it shouldn't be too long before it's ready to post.

Thank you to **PinkFloydLady7**, **Tysonkaiexperiment**, **xXxSmidgexXx**, **mocchi**, **Rose Riku**, **ZealousMonotony**, **Don Seira**, **vIoLeT bUtTeRfLy 90**, **Kairi Dragon**, **Gussie**, **Chicchai Tenshi**, **dark and light heart**, **Aaoki**, **Kasey**, **sakuraXdrops**, **JuliaSuna**, and **Sora4KingdomHearts** for your reviews. **^_^**

_~It is now September, the beginning of the story began in May, so it's been four months since Sora was attacked.~_

**Chapter 13**

Xigbar watched an agitated Xemnas pace restlessly around his elegant condo. A small thread of worry for his friend's sanity rose in his mind as the man muttered to himself, cursing someone named Max and going on about that brown-haired kid. Xigbar sat on the edge of a plush, overstuffed light brown sofa; its matching chair was pushed against a wall near the large plate-glass window, where Xemnas had shoved it in his fury over Xigbar's failure to acquire Sora.

The main room was nearly in shambles from the white-haired man's rage. Xigbar was seriously starting to doubt his friend's sanity. All he could talk about was Sora. It was like he was obsessed. Black brows drew together in a frown; he knew that anyone with an obsession could easily turn to stupid stunts, and with the way Xemnas was behaving, he'd end up doing something extremely dumb.

The tall dark-haired man fidgeted uncomfortably as Xemnas continued to stalk the room angrily. His pewter-gray suit was mussed, the lighter gray vest unbuttoned and the white dress shirt beneath pulled halfway out of his trousers. His white hair was slightly tangled, due to numerous brushes of his fingers through the pale strands. All in all Xigbar thought Xemnas looked a bit maniacal, his eyes bloodshot from several glasses of alcohol he'd consumed and loss of sleep.

"Damn it, you were supposed to bring Sora here to me! I thought you were some hotshot mercenary, getting people what they need no matter what!"

Xigbar sat silently as the other man ranted at him. Had it been anyone else, he would've slammed their face into the nearest wall. But Xemnas was his closest and oldest friend; so instead of getting angry, he let the insults slide off him. Or at least he tried to.

"I watched the kid like you asked, but some tall kid with silver hair wouldn't leave him alone. And he saw me the other night, so I had to hightail it out of there before he called the cops," Xigbar explained patiently. But Xemnas didn't care for his excuses. His bright gold eyes focused on Xigbar heatedly, his face formed into a heavy scowl.

Irritation was quickly creeping into Xigbar's tone. "What the hell happened to you?" he asked in exasperation. "You're letting yourself get crazy and completely worked up over some kid?"

Xemnas growled. "You wouldn't understand," he snapped harshly.

"Then help me to understand!"

"Because Sora is mine!" Xemnas shouted, his chest heaving as he panted from pent-up fury. Xigbar's eyes narrowed.

"You don't own him, Xemnas. God, you act like a jilted lover or something." Seeing Xemnas' expression, it suddenly clicked, and Xigbar froze. "Tell me you didn't touch him."

Silence was his only answer, and Xigbar watched as Xemnas' pacing picked up speed. He swore colorfully at the white-haired man.

"Jesus, man, are you trying to get arrested? You know better than to fuck around with an underage kid! You're lucky his father hasn't had your ass tossed in jail for statutory rape."

"Shut up!" Xemnas ordered, his arm sweeping out viciously and knocking various trinkets and a crystal vase off the nearest in-table, a resounding crash echoing in the room. "I didn't ask for your opinion; just do your job like you're supposed to."

A bit stunned by the outburst coming from his usually stoic friend, Xigbar stood to his full height and glowered down at the slightly shorter Xemnas. "We go back a long way Xem, but friends or not, you watch how you talk to me. I'm doing you a favor in watching this boy, but I can haul my ass home any time I want." He waited for a moment, letting his meaning sink in. "This kid is being closely watched all the time, which tells me that whatever your obsession with him is, you've already made a move on him and it wasn't too well liked by his dad and friends. It could take me a while before I can even get close enough to him to snatch, so I would suggest you just be patient and let me work."

Xemnas snorted and stalked into his bedroom, slamming the door loudly. Xigbar sighed; he had a sour taste in his mouth about his 'job'. What the hell had he gotten himself into?

** x**

Roxas shut his cellphone, a bright grin on his face. He'd been talking to Sora, who'd called him after getting his text yesterday. He was so excited to be moving to Point Destiny and living near his cousin; he and Sora had always been close, but it was hard to visit often when he lived so far away. So he was more than happy when his father informed him they would be moving from home just outside Phoenix, Arizona and into the very same neighborhood as Max and Sora. Zack, Roxas' older brother by four years, was in college, but would be switching schools so he could be near his family. He was a copy of Angeal with his spiky black hair and blue/violet eyes, whereas Roxas took after their mother Quistis.

Standing at 5"8', short compared to his father and brother's height of six feet, Roxas had dark blond hair like his mother, but his cerulean blue eyes were the same shade as her younger brother Zell's; Quistis' eyes were a paler shade of ice-blue behind her gold-rimmed glasses. Roxas was a mix of his parents, with a more quiet demeanor, unlike Zack, who took after their Uncle Zell with his loud personality. Which was a bit funny, because though he and Zack were opposites, Roxas' boyfriend Axel was almost exactly like his brother. The feisty redhead, who had a weird (and sometimes terrifyingly annoying) fascination with fire, was two years older than Roxas and, just like Zack, had decided to transfer colleges to be close to Roxas. The move would be in a week, and Roxas was really looking forward to it.

Returning to his packing, Roxas finished up the box he'd been filling with his various pictures and some of his clothes when he heard the doorbell ring downstairs. He pushed the box to the side to make room for him to walk by and ran downstairs; his dad was still at work and his mom was out getting a few more boxes and running some errands, so he was home alone.

A little out of breath by the time he got to the door, he opened it to find a smirking Axel leaning on the side of the porch rail, jade green eyes running over the blond hungrily.

"Hiya, gorgeous," Axel drawled, sauntering over to Roxas slowly. His dark red hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, his sideburns trailing down over his ears. He was wearing all black, a color Roxas always thought looked exceptionally good on him. Roxas felt goosebumps break out over him as Axel stood beside him and whispered in his ear, "Are your parents home?"

At the negative nod, Axel beamed and grabbed Roxas' hand, leading the blond into the house. "Wow, you guys got a lot of stuff already packed," the redhead observed as he pulled Roxas toward the stairs. "Hope you haven't packed your bed yet," he said, leering down at his blushing boyfriend.

Shutting the door to Roxas' bedroom, Axel immediately tugged Roxas close to him. Before Roxas could say a word, Axel claimed the blond's lips in a deep kiss. Roxas moaned lightly, his mouth opening to grant access to Axel's tongue. The taller redhead instantly plunged into the warm cavern, his hands running over Roxas' back down to his hips and clutching him closer.

Roxas reached up and grabbed the band holding Axel's hair, letting the red strands tumble free to broad shoulders. His tan fingers sifted through the soft tresses, his body burrowing into Axel's as their kiss grew more heated.

Lifting the smaller teen's legs up, Axel carried Roxas over to his dresser, setting him down on the wood surface while not breaking their liplock and standing between the blond's slim thighs. His left hand cupped Roxas' face gently while his right one snaked down to the top of Roxas' jeans, running the tips of his fingers over the button and zipper. Just as he was about to slip his hand inside, they were broken apart by the sound of the front door opening and closing. A second later they could hear Quistis call out, "Roxas?"

"Damn it," Axel muttered, moving away from Roxas so he could straighten out his clothing. They could hear Roxas' mother heading to the bedroom, her footsteps echoing on the hardwood floor. "Roxas? Are you here?" she called, her head poking into the room and a smile on her face as she zeroed in on her son. Luckily his breathing had calmed down, and he and Axel were standing a few feet apart as if nothing had happened. Though his parents didn't mind his boyfriend, it was altogether another thing to have your mother walk in on you and said boyfriend having sex.

"Oh, hello Axel, are you going to have dinner with us tonight?" Quistis had always liked Axel, she thought he was a nice boy who reminded her of her little brother a bit.

Axel chuckled. "If you're cooking, hell yeah!" Roxas rolled his eyes, but a small smirk crept onto his lips. Quistis laughed and went back downstairs to start dinner, leaving Roxas and Axel alone. Axel shot a grin at his boyfriend, receiving a shirt in the face as Roxas began packing another box.

_Note: I'm not exactly sure what color Angeal's eyes are, I've never played Crisis Core, but for the story I'm making them the same color as Zack's. And I decided to use Quistis from FF8; her character isn't used much, and I liked the idea of having her as Roxas' mother._


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters, nor do I make any profit off this story.

**AN: **So here's the next chapter, I actually got inspired for the beginning of this by a review. I sent it to Greyy, my co-author, who loved it, and I couldn't help but laugh as I wrote it. *I kept seeing Riku walking around with a little dog attached to his foot as he walked, trying to shake it loose.* So total credit for the first of this chapter goes to **JuliaSuna**. Thank you so much for your review, and your idea about Tink!***_***

Big thanks to **PinkFloydLady7**, **Oblivion Hyorinmaru**, **Dark Angel Kira**, **vIoLeT bUtTeRfLy 90**, **sakuraXdrops**, **Tysonkaiexperiment**, **Orgasmic**, **Rose Riku**, **Sora4KingdomHearts**, **Yumi-nachan**, **Gussie** and **Kairi Dragon** for your reviews. Thank you guys!

**Chapter 14**

Riku limped slightly as he made his way slowly downstairs. He grumbled to himself when his ankle gave a small twinge of pain. "Stupid dog," he muttered. He set his bookbag down on the couch as he headed into the kitchen for breakfast, but stopped short in the doorway as he spied Cloud holding the bane of his existence.

Glaring hatefully at Tinker Bell, Riku sat down across from Sephiroth and Cloud. Sephiroth had a smirk on his lips, trying not to laugh at his son. "Still sore?" he asked, green eyes twinkling with amusement.

Riku turned his glare onto his father. Cloud gave the teen a worried glance. "I'm really sorry, Riku. She's normally a very sweet dog; I can't imagine why she'd bite you."

Scoffing, Riku stared balefully at the poodle. "That dog is a menace," he snarled. Tinker Bell, seeming to understand the conversation, began growling at Riku, who growled back. Sephiroth snickered, finding the situation hilarious.

"Oh come on, Riku. She's a tiny dog, hell the neighbor's cat is bigger than she is," Sephiroth teased. But Riku didn't find it funny at all. Ever since Cloud had moved in nearly a month ago, the dog had done nothing but torment him. So far she'd peed in his room (he'd had to open all the windows and air it out for two days to get the smell out), she'd chewed his favorite pair of sneakers, and he still had yet to find his MP3 player. This was the second time she'd bitten him, the first being the very night Cloud had brought her over. He didn't know if he was emitting some kind of scent, but the poodle had gone berserk and bitten the back of his calf as he'd been sitting on the couch. She hadn't broken the skin luckily, but it had left a nasty bruise. Then yesterday he'd walked into the house after school, and she'd rushed up behind him and bit his ankle. His aqua eyes promised dire retribution if she even sniffed near him again.

Sephiroth chuckled. "I don't know why she doesn't like you, no one else has a problem with her." To prove his point, he reached over and pat her on the head; Tinker Bell began wagging her tail, her long pink tongue lolling out the side of her mouth as she panted.

"Whatever," Riku mumbled, grabbing one of the homemade blueberry muffins that Cloud had cooked and strode to the front door. He had no problem with Cloud; it was actually pretty cool having the blond live there. He was a great cook, and Riku found he could talk to him about anything. It was that… _thing_ that was the problem. He loved dogs, he really did, but that little ankle-biter was a whole different story. _More like a rat with a perm, _he thought sourly. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he fished his car keys out of his pocket and slid into the Mustang. He drove to pick up Sora and Kairi, a new habit they'd gotten into since their weekend together last month.

As he caught sight of Sora shutting his front door and walking towards his car, Riku felt himself feel better at just a glimpse of the brunet. He gave Sora a smile as the smaller teen slid into the passenger's seat and buckled his seatbelt.

Holding his own bookbag in his lap, Sora turned to Riku and asked, "How's your ankle?" He had actually laughed when Riku called him last night to complain about the bite. It had made Riku's day; he'd missed that laugh, so a dog bite was worth it to hear it once again.

"It's fine," he grumbled. "Have you decided what your Halloween costume is gonna be?" They'd both been invited to Kairi's Halloween party next Saturday, and Sora was still trying to figure out what he was going to go as. Riku had picked his costume out a few weeks ago; he was dressing up as a pirate. Lame he knew, but of all the costumes he'd looked at, it was the least dorky.

Sora's brow knitted in thought. "I'm not sure yet, Kairi was going to go with me today to the store to help me pick one out." Riku nodded.

"How about we all go after school? I can drive us," he suggested. Any chance he got to spend with Sora he grabbed at. He'd noticed that over the past weeks, Sora had opened up to him more. Not like they used to be, but he had faith that hopefully soon they would be back at that point.

"Yeah, sounds like fun," Sora said as they pulled up in front of Kairi's house. The redhead was already waiting on the front stoop, standing as soon as she saw Riku's car. Sora tilted his seat forward so she could climb in back, and they were off again.

Sora turned around in his seat to look at Kairi. "Hey, Riku's gonna drive us to the store after school and help us pick out my costume. Is that okay?"

Kairi smiled at him. "Yeah, sounds great! I still have to get a costume too." She knew which one she wanted, she'd seen it in the circular ad yesterday. "We'll all meet up at your car after school, all right?" Riku nodded, and the rest of the drive to school was filled with idle chatter.

Parking in the full lot, they got out of the Mustang and walked into the entrance to their lockers. After getting their appropriate books, they left to go to homeroom together.

The day passed pretty quickly for Sora. He found himself actually looking forward to Halloween; it was the first time he'd been invited to a party instead of going Trick-or-Treating, or just sitting at home like last year and doing nothing. He wasn't really sure what he wanted to be, and he was looking forward to shopping for a costume this afternoon. He'd called his cousin to see if he wanted to join them, but Roxas was planning to visit his boyfriend Axel after school. They'd both been invited to Kairi's party; Roxas had warned Kairi not to let the redhead anywhere near matches or gas stoves. Kairi had laughed it off until she'd seen the serious look on Roxas' face. Sora had actually giggled when she told him about it later.

As the last bell rang and signaled the day's end, Sora gathered his books and waited for Riku to get his stuff together. They headed towards their lockers, and after putting up their books they met Kairi at her locker, which was just a little ways down the hallway, and exited the school. "Hey, how about we go to that new shop that opened up next to the supermarket? I heard it has nothing but Halloween costumes and decorations, and I looked at their ad and saw some pretty cool costumes." She was practically buzzing with excitement; she and Tidus had decided to find matching costumes for her party, hopefully the one she'd seen in the paper would still be there.

They climbed into Riku's car, and it took only minutes to get to the store. Kairi had texted Tidus and told him to meet her at the store, she wanted him to see the outfit she had her heart set on. Riku and Sora browsed the aisles, looking over various costumes before dismissing them. Kairi had found the one she wanted in her size, and was clutching it to her as she perused the boy's and men's section for a matching costume for Tidus.

"What about this?" Sora held up a ninja costume, and both Kairi and Riku scrunched up their faces. Sora chuckled and placed it back on the rack, his eyes skimming over other outfits. He bypassed a clown, Kenny from South Park (though it would be funny to go and see everyone try to figure out who was in that costume), the Scream Ghostface costume (_I don't think so!_), a Zombie, a Transformer costume (no way was he going anywhere dressed as Optimus Prime), there was even a whole section of Star Wars costumes. At the end of the aisle were the Super Hero costumes, and he walked by them; he had no interest in dressing up as Superman, Spiderman or Batman.

"Hey guys!" They looked up as Tidus greeted them. Kairi rushed over to him and showed him her choice, a red and white Candy Striper nurse's uniform. Tidus whistled and wagged his eyebrows at his girlfriend. The skirt would end just above her knees, the bodice was cut low with poofy sleeves, and a fake stethoscope and hat came with it. The white stockings and garter belt were also included, and Kairi couldn't wait to try it on.

Kairi giggled. "There's a doctor's costume that would go great with mine," she said as she led him over to where she'd seen it in the men's section.

"So what are you going to be?" Sora asked. He had no idea what Riku had gotten, and was curious.

"I'm gonna be a pirate," Riku said. Sora laughed lightly. "What? It was the only one I found where I didn't feel ridiculous wearing it." A hint of amusement was in his voice. "So, see anything you like yet?"

Sora shook his head. "No," he sighed, "I just don't know what I want to be." He continued searching through costumes until he found a vampire costume that he kinda liked. It wasn't too cheesy, and it came with a cool cape. "Hey, what about this?" he asked, holding it up for Riku to see. Riku studied it for a few seconds, then nodded. "I think it's pretty good, is that the one you want?" Sora nodded yes, and they then made their way over to the accessories and make-up. Sora picked out a pair of fangs, some fake blood and white face powder.

Riku couldn't help but watch Sora as he took the costume and make-up to the register. He still wasn't all too happy with anyone touching him, but he was seeing that beautiful smile more and more. Today felt almost like it did before they stopped being friends – which was all Riku's fault, and he admitted it – and he was glad to see Sora out and having a good time. Now if he could just convince him to go to Kairi's party with him. As in be his date.

Tidus and Kairi came up behind them as Sora paid for his purchase. "I can't wait until next Saturday! I'm so glad they had this in stock, I was afraid they'd all be gone by the time I got here," Kairi said, laying her costume on the counter for the clerk to ring up. Tidus had gotten the doctor's scrubs, and had grabbed a few other things as well.

Once they all had their bags in hand, they left the store and stood at Riku's car. "I'm gonna ride with Tidus, we're going to a movie later. See you guys tomorrow!" Kairi smiled and waved as she walked with Tidus to his mom's car, which she'd let him borrow, and the two drove away. Sora waved back to them as they went by, putting his costume in the backseat of the Mustang.

"So," Riku asked as they sat in their seats, "you wanna go do anything, or just want me to drop you off at your house?"

Sora shrugged. "It doesn't matter," he replied a bit shyly; he was still nervous being alone with Riku.

Riku grinned, "Ok, how about we stop and grab some hamburgers then eat over at your house?" His stomach began rumbling, causing both teens to laugh. Cranking the car, Riku pulled out of the parking lot and stopped at Hardees for a couple of burgers and fries, then drove over to Sora's house.

Parking behind Max's car, Riku carried the food in while Sora carted his costume. He followed the brunet inside, walking into the large kitchen and setting the food down on the long bar while Sora ran upstairs to put his costume away. While he waited for Sora, Max came in the kitchen, giving the silver-haired boy a distracted greeting as he talked on his cellphone with a file in his hand. He gave Riku a small smile before leaving the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Hey, you want some juice or a soda?" Sora asked as he trotted back in the room. Riku shifted his focus on Sora, "Soda's fine." Sora handed him a Pepsi, retrieving one for himself as well. After finishing eating, Riku spent a few minutes talking with Sora before heading home. He was really looking forward to next Saturday.

** x**

The week passed fairly quickly, the kids in school all psyched about Halloween. Sora and Riku were spending the night at Kairi's again, their costumes locked in Riku's car trunk while they attended school. Tidus came with them to Kairi's and stayed that Friday night until a little after eleven, and they all went to bed soon after so they'd be rested for the next day.

Waking up not too early the next day, they all basically lounged around until about one. Kairi's mother had gotten the candy for any Trick-or-Treater's (she and Kairi's father would be handing it out on the porch), and had picked up four different bags of chips and some dip for the party. There was also fruit punch, soda, and caramel apples, along with a big bowl of more candy for the teens. They'd decided to order pizza later, and now all they had to do was get ready.

Kairi had gone upstairs to her room to change two hours before the party began, and came back down half an hour later. Her Candy Striper costume was form-fitting, the skirt actually ending mid-thigh and showing off a frilly white petticoat that came with the uniform. White stockings came to just below the skirt, held up by a pair of garters. She had on a pair of three-inch white high heels, the fake stethoscope around her neck and the hat perched atop her head. She'd kept her dark red hair loose, simply brushing it back off her shoulders.

Sora went into the guest bedroom to put on his own costume. He'd picked a Victorian vampire, and the outfit came with a silver brocade vest that he thought looked really good, a black dickey with attached cravat, and a long cape. He had found a pair of black dress slacks in his closet that went well with his costume, and he'd bought a pair of black boots to complete his outfit. Kairi helped him with the fake blood and make-up, and he now had a realistic trail of blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. He'd decided not to use the white powder; it would just look too cheesy and cliché.

The guests for the party began arriving about half an hour before it actually started. Selphie and Tidus were the first to show up, Selphie as Pebbles from 'The Flintstones', complete with pink wig. Tidus had his doctor scrubs, and he'd bought some fake 'wounds', putting them on his face and neck, and fake blood speckled his scrubs. He even had what looked like a knife protruding from his skull. He walked in and stood with Kairi at the table, his eyes trailing over the redhead appreciatively. She blushed at his look, then went to answer the doorbell.

Roxas and Axel were the next to arrive. Axel didn't bother to dress up (no matter how much Roxas tried to persuade him), and Roxas was dressed as a cowboy. Axel was following him around, his hands being slapped away continuously when he got a bit too grabby. Sora chuckled at his cousin and his boyfriend, who whined for the umpteenth time for getting swatted.

By seven-thirty, the house was packed with teenagers, most of them dancing to a Halloween music CD that Kairi was playing in the stereo. Kairi had invited the majority of juniors, and now there looked to be about twenty to thirty of them at the party. Sora was getting a glass of punch when he saw Riku finally walk in; the older teen had been the last of the trio to change into his costume. Sora couldn't help but admire the way Riku's outfit suited him. The long red captain's coat reached just above his knees, a cream-colored shirt revealed under it. The shirt had lacey cuffs that spilled out of the coat's sleeves, and brocade details running up the front. Black jeans were tucked into knee-length black boots, and a tri-corn hat sat jauntily atop his silver hair.

"Hey," Riku greeted Sora as he moved closer. "Why aren't you dancing? This is a party, go have some fun!"

Sora ducked his head. He couldn't tell Riku he didn't feel comfortable being close enough to someone to dance with them, 'cause then he'd want to know why. So he just laughed and shook his head.

"Nah, I'm okay here. Plus, I'm a little thirsty, but maybe later?" He let the question hang, hoping maybe Riku would leave it alone.

Aqua eyes peered down suspiciously. Riku knew it had something to do with whatever had been bothering Sora all summer, and it was torture not knowing. He shrugged, "All right. I'm gonna go see if Selphie wants to dance." Sora watched him walk away, not sure whether it was relief or disappointment he felt as Riku began dancing with Selphie.

Kairi came to stand next to him, gulping down a can of soda from the cooler. She grinned at Sora, her face a bit sweaty after dancing with Tidus. "Hey, why aren't you dancing?"

Sora gave a small laugh. "Riku just asked me the same thing," he told her, his gaze following Riku as he danced. Kairi saw where he was looking. "Sora, just ask him to dance." But the brunette shook his head. He'd already been rejected by Riku once, he didn't need to go through that again. Plus he wasn't sure he'd feel comfortable being that close to Riku, even though they had gotten closer lately. Kairi threw him a sad glance before going back to Tidus. Sora decided to go sit down on the couch, which had been pushed to the far end of the room. As he traversed the room, he was jostled a bit by the other kids dancing. He tried not to flinch away since he still had trouble with people touching him, but when someone accidentally slammed into his back, he turned white and practically ran out of the room into the kitchen. Kairi, who'd been keeping an eye on him as he walked, saw his reaction and followed him. She never noticed that Riku had also been keeping watch of Sora and was trailing behind her.

Seeing the back door open, Kairi walked near and heard gasping breaths. Her heart nearly broke at the sight of Sora crouched down on the back porch, his arms wrapped protectively around himself as he fought tears. She slipped outside and sat beside him.

"Sora," she whispered. No response. "It's okay, Sora. No one here is going to hurt you. I know it's ha-"

"You don't know, Kairi!" Sora wailed. "I hate feeling this way! I'm so tired of being afraid, of my skin crawling when someone touches me! I just want things to go back to the way they used to be!" He shuddered, the tears he'd tried to suppress falling free and cascading down his cheeks.

Kairi wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him and hold him close, but after what he'd just said she knew he'd freak out. She knew he was doing better these last several weeks, but it could take a long time before he was healed enough to handle a hug.

"I'm sorry, Sora. I can't even begin to understand what you're going through, but maybe if you talked about it with someone then it might help."

Sora sniffled. "What, you mean a therapist or psychiatrist? You want me to see a shrink?" Kairi had thought to hear anger or fear in his voice, but surprisingly Sora sounded like he was possibly considering it. She nodded.

"I-I have thought about it, actually. But I don't know if it'll do any good, and I'd have to tell my dad…" Sora put his head back down, mulling it over. It had been hard enough telling Kairi, but to talk about _that_ with a total stranger would be one hundred times harder.

"Well, there are some listings in the phone book, and I know the school's guidance counselor has pamphlets in her office with lists of rape counselors. What if we get one and check it out?" She was willing to get them herself if it would get Sora to seek help; she was worried he might fall into depression, or keep his attack buried until he just blew up one day. It wasn't healthy for him to let it stew inside.

Sora sighed, nodding. "Okay," he rasped. Kairi smiled, relieved. She sat with him on the porch, neither seeing a shocked Riku hidden beside the door.

** x**

Riku danced with Selphie while watching Sora out of the corner of his eye. He saw when the smaller teen went pale as he was almost knocked down at the force of a body crashing into him, hightailing it out of the room.

"Sorry, Selphie, will you excuse me for a moment?" he apologized, intending to follow Sora and make sure he was okay. He saw Kairi beat him to it, but continued anyway. He got to the kitchen, and seeing the back door open, he headed towards it only to stop as he heard muted voices. He slowly crept closer, staying to the left of the door and listening to Sora and Kairi talk. He wasn't meaning to eavesdrop, but a part of him knew this might be the only way he'd find out what was wrong with Sora.

"-I just want things to go back to the way they used to be!" His heart ached at the pain in Sora's voice. He kept listening, holding himself back from rushing out there and consoling Sora himself. But his brows drew together in a frown as he caught more of their conversation. Why did Sora need to see a therapist? His mind worked a mile a minute as he tried to figure out what was going on, then he froze as he heard Kairi mention something about rape counselors.

Dazed aqua orbs widened in realization. It all made sense now; the way Sora would move away from anyone close, how he wouldn't let anyone touch him, his drastic change in personality. He recalled the way Sora had panicked when that strange man had grabbed him and tried to pull him into his car. And Max asking for help in keeping an eye on Sora. Riku's fists clenched tightly as rage clouded his brain. But it left him just as suddenly. If he had to get mad at anyone, then he'd have to get angry with himself first. Because of him, he'd left his best friend alone and vulnerable when he'd needed him most. There was nothing he could do about it now, but he promised himself no matter what he wouldn't push Sora away ever again.

He stepped into the doorway, hearing Kairi gasp as she saw him. "H-how long have you been there?" she asked shakily. She'd not known anyone was there, and having Riku sneak up on them like that rattled her a bit. But she was more worried about how Sora would react. It was obvious from the way Riku was looking at Sora that he'd heard everything they'd said.

Riku smiled sadly. "Kairi, can I talk to Sora alone? Please?"

Sighing, the redhead stood and looked to Sora. He nodded slightly, indicating it was all right, and she walked past Riku back into the house. "Go easy with him," she whispered as she walked into the kitchen, stopping to stare straight into Riku's eyes and silently telling him not to hurt Sora. He met her gaze and nodded. Her last glimpse as she moved towards the living room was Riku sitting tentatively down next to Sora.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters, nor do I make any profit off this story.

**AN:** Ok, so this is really more of a continuation of chapter 14. I know I stopped it at a bad spot, so I wrote this to finish it up. I have to warn you, the next few chapters are going to have some time skips (not big periods of time, just a few weeks in between each), the story is progressing slowly, but even I see it's a little _too_ slow for now. So if anyone doesn't like the time skips, I'm sorry, but it's only for two or three chapters.

**Chapter 15**

Riku sat down heavily beside Sora, glancing down at the bowed head. He wanted more than anything to pull the slim body into his arms, but after what he'd just learned, he knew Sora wouldn't welcome any physical contact. He stared into the darkness of the backyard, the overhead lamppost not giving much light.

"Sora," he started, seeing the brunet stiffen, "why didn't you tell me?"

A muffled snort came from Sora before he spoke. "And when was I supposed to tell you? When you let your friends push me around? Or when you just completely ignored my existence?" Riku heard the bitterness in Sora's tone, his questions bringing a hot flush of shame to his face. He wasn't proud of the way he'd treated Sora, and the younger teen had every right to be angry.

"I can never apologize enough for the way I treated you last year, but I thought we'd at least become friends again." Silence met his statement. Riku stood and began pacing agitatedly.

"And what I meant was why didn't you tell me since we started talking again? I just want to help you," he pleaded, stopping and gazing at Sora. Sora still wouldn't meet his eyes, his arms tightening around himself in self-protection. He knew he was lashing out at Riku, but he was ashamed and embarrassed that the older teen had found out about his attack. His biggest fear was that Riku would blame him for the rape. It was irrational, but that's how he felt. So he struck out at Riku as a kind of defense for himself.

Riku felt like hitting something as his anger again boiled over. It wasn't directed at Sora, but at the bastard who'd hurt him. The incident with the white-haired man just over a month ago again came to him.

"Who was it?" Riku demanded. "Sora, I'm not angry with you, I just want to help if you'll let me," he gentled his voice. When Sora remained silent, he sat down once more next to Sora. "It was that guy who tried to pull you into his car after school, wasn't it?"

Sora froze. Riku saw the telltale difference in Sora's posture, and knew he was right. "Look, I'm not going to tell anyone else, okay? I promise." Sora sniffled and wiped his eyes with the hem of his cape. His features were half-hidden in the dim light, but Riku could make out the misery and sadness on his face.

"I-I can't, I'm sorry," Sora whispered, "I can't talk about this right now. I just… I can't." He noticed the fake blood from his face on his hand, and used his cape to clean it off; good thing his cape was black, no one would see it.

"I can't forget what I heard, Sora. And I promised your father I'd keep an eye on you." _Oh shit._ The look Sora sent him at that comment made Riku back up a bit. _Damn it, I wasn't supposed to say anything about that!_

But it was too late to take it back now. Sora stood on the top step of the porch, now glaring at Riku. "My father asked you to do _what_?" he growled. Was this the reason why Riku had started hanging out with him again, as a favor to his dad? His heart ached at the thought that their rebuilt friendship was a farce, and he was only nice because of Max.

"So what, you only pretended to be my friend so you could keep an eye on me? Is that why you suddenly wanted to pick me up for school and always hung around? 'Cause my dad asked you to?" Sora didn't let Riku reply, his own anger and hurt breaking free. He turned away to move back inside, hiding his face from Riku so he wouldn't see fresh tears leak from his eyes. "Do me a favor and stay away from me!" he yelled, stomping into the house and leaving a stunned Riku standing alone in the dark.

** x**

Pushing through the crowded living room in search of Kairi, Sora ignored the curious looks sent his way as he finally spied the redhead. She was sitting on the couch with Tidus, a few other kids seated around them. He briskly walked up to her, snagging her attention almost right away.

Kairi jumped up, worry etched on her face as she saw Sora walk directly to her with tears on his cheeks. "Sora, are you alright? What happened?" She led him to the bathroom just off from the living room, closing the door and giving them some privacy. What the hell happened between him and Riku?

Sora sat down on the toilet lid, rubbing his eyes furiously. Kairi remembered that being a habit he did when he was really agitated. She grabbed a washcloth from the closet and handed it to Sora, watching him wipe the tears from his face. "Okay, tell me what happened," she said, hunching down on her knees next to him.

"He heard everything, Kai. But that's not the worst part. My dad asked him to be nice to me, so he could keep an eye on me for him. Do you know how humiliating that is? I really thought that he was being my friend again, and it was all an act." Sora was hiccupping now, twisting the washcloth in his hands.

Fury welled up in Kairi. How dare Riku do this to Sora again? She was just about to go out and find him and beat the hell out of him when a knock sounded on the door. Thinking it was Tidus, Kairi opened the door and was greeted with the sight of a panicked Riku. "Kairi, is Sora in here with you? He just ran off, I need to find him!"

"Haven't you done enough to him?" she hissed, slamming her hands into his chest. Riku flinched, but didn't budge. "Just leave, Riku. Now!"

But Riku shook his head. "Not until I talk to Sora. Please, Kairi, it's not what he thinks! I never pretended to be his friend, none of what I've said or done has been fake. Sure, I looked after him for his dad, but that's only because he asked me to! I would have done it anyway, even if he hadn't asked me."

Kairi calmed down a bit at hearing the pleading tone of Riku's voice. She looked in his eyes, and saw the worry and concern for Sora. She relaxed her stance, glancing back at Sora to gauge his reaction. He'd heard every word, and was sitting there quietly.

"Sora?" she spoke softly, letting him decide on whether to have Riku stay or go.

"It's okay, Kairi," Sora mumbled, lifting his head to stare at Riku. The older teen sighed in relief, moving aside to let Kairi past him as she left the bathroom and went back to her party. Tidus gave her a questioning look, but she shrugged it off for now; she'd explain something to him later.

Riku shut the door and moved closer to the brunet. "Sora, I swear I never pretended to be your friend. Your dad was just worried about you after I told him what happened that day with that man. Please believe me." He took a risk and brushed a strand of brown hair out of Sora's face, and was relieved when he didn't move away from the contact. Ocean blue orbs met his own aqua, looking deep into his eyes as if searching to find the truth. Riku smiled softly, telling Sora silently that he wasn't lying. After a few moments, Sora turned away, sighing.

"I believe you, Riku. But why didn't you just tell me my father asked you to watch me?"

Riku moved back to lean against the sink counter. "Because I was afraid you'd be angry. Your dad was worried about you that day. He said he'd tried calling your phone, but you never picked up. I thought he was gonna tear the room apart when I told him about that man. He mentioned someone named 'Xemnas', called him a son of a bitch; was that him?"

Sora shuddered at the name, closing his eyes briefly. Gathering his courage, he met Riku's gaze and nodded. "He works at the same law firm as my dad," he said in a low voice. "They were friends, and he used to come over and visit my dad or pick up papers for their cases. I knew he watched me, I couldn't help but notice, but I never thought…" Sora's breath hitched. Riku crouched down in front of him, his hands itching to hold the brunet.

"It's okay, Sora. You don't have to say anything else. I understand." He could tell Sora was still uncomfortable talking about it, and as much as he wanted to know everything, he let it drop for now. Sora looked at him, his eyes bleary and red. He gave Riku a half-hearted smile, telling him more than words ever could that he was okay now.

Moving his legs and plopping down on the cold tile floor, Riku sat beside Sora and tilted his head against the wall. "I'm sorry I was such an ass to you this past year, Sora. When I found out how you felt, I let other people's opinions matter more to me than yours." He scoffed at himself. "I don't know how many times I wanted, and actually started, to talk to you and tell you I was sorry. But I got scared. I was afraid that I would be treated differently, so I let you be picked on by everyone instead of sticking up for you. I missed you so much, missed having you around to talk to, to just hang out with. Can you ever forgive me?"

Sora was a bit stunned by Riku's confession. Hearing the earnestness in Riku's voice, he knew the older teen wasn't lying. Their friendship still had a bit of a ways to go, but to be honest Sora had forgiven Riku when they'd become friends again. He nodded, "I do forgive you, Riku." He looked around the room, his ears picking up the music from the party. "I'm not really in a party mood anymore, I think I'd like to go home now. I'll go see if Kairi's mom can drive me." Sora stood to leave the room, and Riku jumped up from the floor and dusted himself off.

"I'll take you home. I'm not really in the mood anymore either." He grinned down at the shorter boy, following him out of the bathroom and into the living room. He felt like a giant weight had been lifted off his chest, and he was almost giddy at the realization that Sora forgave him and even trusted him. He knew if Sora didn't trust him he never would have told him anything about Xemnas, instead remaining silent when Riku asked him about the man. He would do whatever it took to prove to Sora he would be there for him. And he vowed to himself that he'd never let anyone hurt him again.

Kairi, who'd been waiting for them to exit, sprang to her feet and met them by the front door. "I'm gonna take Sora home, it's been a long day," Riku told her.

"Okay," she said, turning to Sora. "I'll see you tomorrow, alright?" Sora nodded, opening the door and stepping outside into the nice cool air. Riku grabbed his jacket that he'd hung up, tugging his car keys from the side pocket. "Bye, Kairi. It was a great party!" he told her, walking around to climb into the driver's seat of his car. Kairi stood in the doorway watching them leave, and Sora waved to her from the passenger's side, then Riku pulled out of the driveway and headed towards Sora's house.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or its characters, nor do I make any profit off this story.

**AN:** Sooo sorry for the wait! I had a lot of things going on, then I had problems with my house (stupid breaker went out, kept tripping the electricity), and I had a bit of writer's block. I worked on this chapter for over a month, then yesterday I was reading over it and I just hated what I had written. So I spent all afternoon writing a new chapter, and here it is. Oh, and I have my own computer now, so I can hopefully have chapters done faster. **:)**

Big thanks to **Tysonkaiexperiment**, **Rose Riku**, **Kairi Dragon**, **PinkFloydLady7**, **Gussie**, **Yumi-nachan**, **vIoLeT bUtTeRfLy 90**, **-Cloud Above the Moon-**, **roxel-** and **Tsukiyomi Kirari-san** for your reviews.

***Time skip of one month – hopefully the next chapter will be the last skip***

**Chapter 16**

Sora fidgeted anxiously as he waited for his name to be called. The sterile scent of the doctor's building was stifling, making him want to gag a little. Kairi cast a worried glance at the brunet, knowing how nervous he must be at having his second set of tests done. She'd been a bit surprised when he'd asked her if she'd come with him. But seeing the edgy look on his face when he'd told her about going to get his HIV test, she'd immediately agreed to go. They were out of school until Monday due to the holiday, and she was free until later that afternoon.

Checking the clock on the wall above the nurse's desk, Sora sighed and leaned back in his chair. He knew he was probably annoying Kairi, but he couldn't help it. He hadn't told his dad about the doctor's visit, not wanting to let him know until he got the results back. He was lucky the clinic was even open today, since tomorrow was Thanksgiving. His dad had invited Angeal, Quistis and Roxas for the holiday, and Zack would be coming as well. They were going to have the meal at Max and Sora's since their house was the larger, and they planned to come later in the afternoon and spend the night so Quistis could get an early start with the dinner tomorrow. Sora was actually looking forward to it; it would be the first real holiday he and his dad would spend with family.

Sora's thoughts were interrupted abruptly as one of the clinic's doctors walked into the room, heading to the nurse's desk. Feeling Sora stiffen, Kairi nudged his shoulder. "Relax, Sora. Everything's gonna be alright," she whispered.

Ocean blue eyes met her violet orbs. "You think so?" he asked, his voice small. Kairi smiled at him, grabbing his hand in hers. "No matter what happens, you'll always have me and Riku, and your family," she promised. Sora gave a wobbly smile back, then turned to watch the clock again.

Kairi kept hold of Sora's hand as she surveyed the waiting room. It was a typical reception area, with a black and white tiled floor, plain white walls, and a line of thinly padded chairs along three of the walls. A couple of coffee tables were scattered in the wide room, a variety of magazines laying on top. The fluorescent lighting overhead was a bit bright, especially with the large windows on the walls behind and to the left of them. The only view through them was the parking lot, which was nearly empty. Luckily there weren't a lot of patients today, given the holiday tomorrow. Only two other people waited in the room, having arrived right after Sora and Kairi.

The doctor who'd come to the desk turned to face the room with a sign-in chart in his hand. He was an older man, maybe in his late forties to early fifties with light brown hair peppered with silver and kind brown eyes. "Sora Banford?" he called out, causing Sora to jump up. "Come on back here, and we'll get you in an exam room," he said as he proceeded to lead the teen to the back. Sora began following, tugging Kairi along with him. The redhead trailed behind, hoping to ease some of Sora's nervousness. She couldn't help but think how nerve-wrenching this must have been for him the first time when he'd been alone.

They came to a small room with an examination table in the middle, various medical charts and posters on the walls, and a large desk with shelves holding canisters of cottonballs, tongue depressors (Kairi always thought they reminded her of popsicle sticks), syringes, bottles of rubbing alcohol and other things that were yet to be identified. A swivel stool was placed in front of the desk, and Kairi sat on it while Sora hopped up on the table.

"Alright, I'll be back in a few minutes to draw some blood," the doctor said, walking out of the room. Sora nodded and remained quiet, swinging his feet absently as he sat. He'd called to set up an appointment for his blood test yesterday, hardly able to believe that it's really been six months already. He felt kinda bad about not telling Riku, but like with his father, if he got bad news then he wanted to have some time to prepare before saying anything. But he hadn't wanted to be alone this time, so he'd asked Kairi to come. Her presence did help him to calm a little, but his nerves were about to get the best of him.

When the doctor came back, Sora felt like his stomach was doing summersaults. He looked anywhere but at his arm as the doctor rolled up the sleeve of his shirt and tied a tourniquet just above his elbow. He met Kairi's gaze and gave a tremulous smile as the doctor prepared the hypodermic needle and tube to draw his blood.

"Alright, I'm going to begin inserting the needle," the doctor said in a soft voice. Sora just said, "Okay," in a small voice and held his arm straight out. He flinched a little when he felt the sharp sting in his forearm; god, he hated needles. He made sure to keep his eyes averted, not wanting to see the blood drawn. Kairi came to stand by his side, her hand again finding his and squeezing lightly. Sora put all his attention on her, focusing on her until he felt the needle being removed.

"I'm going to take this to the lab. I should have the results back in about an hour," the doctor told them. He used one of the cottonballs and placed it over the tiny puncture wound, holding it in place with a piece of surgical tape to stem the bleeding and untying the tourniquet. He pulled off his latex gloves and dumped them in the trash can beside the desk, then left the room with Sora's blood sample.

The room stayed silent as Sora and Kairi waited for the results. For Sora, it was the longest wait of his life. He remained on the table, and Kairi again sat, this time in the visitor's chair in the corner. She also kept quiet, not really knowing what to say. All she could do was hope the test came back with a good outcome.

Sora stared at the clock for the umpteenth time, getting impatient. It had been nearly an hour and a half since the doctor left, and all he wanted was to go home. He was scared that his results were bad, otherwise why would it take so long? He shifted on the exam table just as the door opened, and the doctor walked back in.

"I have your results. Do you want me to go over them with your friend here, or would you like some privacy?" The doctor's gaze swept over Kairi as he pulled out the swivel stool and took a seat.

"No, it's okay, she can stay if that's alright," Sora said anxiously. The doctor nodded, opening up the file in his hand. Kairi came to stand next to Sora, almost as nervous as the brunet. The doctor gave Sora a smile as he began telling him the results.

"Well, the blood test came back negative for HIV. No antibodies were detected, everything came back clean. I would suggest you come back once a year for a test though, make it part of your normal yearly healthcare checkup." He continued speaking, but Sora didn't really hear anything beyond his test being negative.

Sora nodded dazedly as he met the doctor's look, his brain buzzing as the man left the room to examine his next patient. The brunet finally looked up at Kairi and gave her a blinding grin, relief flooding his body as the news sunk in.

"See? I told you it would be okay!" Kairi laughed, her own relief at the news making her almost giddy. She walked alongside Sora as they headed back to the front of the clinic, exiting the building. Sora felt like a huge weight had been lifted off him, and he took a deep breath as he stood in the early afternoon sunlight. Kairi had borrowed her mom's car, and Sora went to the passenger's side of the small sedan as Kairi cranked the car. He slid into the seat, buckling his seatbelt with a happy smile stuck on his face.

"So, what do you wanna do now?" Kairi asked as she pulled out of the parking lot.

Sora's stomach growled, and he laughed sheepishly as his hands came up to cover his tummy. "Um, I think I'll go home to get something to eat," he said. He'd been too nervous to eat breakfast, and now that he knew he was fine, he was starving.

"Okay, I'll drop you off; I have to get the car back so Mom can go pick up Kyla from the airport." Kairi made a face at the mention of her sister. Kyla had gone out of state to college, and Kairi was a bit glad to have her so far away. They still didn't get along very well, so Kairi was happy that her sister didn't visit home very often.

The ride to Sora's house was only a few minutes, and Sora waved bye to Kairi as he got out of the car. "I'll see you Monday at school," she called, reversing the vehicle and heading home. Sora watched the car a moment before getting his key and entering the house. His dad was in the living room, papers strewn about him on the couch as a football game played on the TV. Max gave him a greeting smile as Sora walked in, then returned his attention back to his paperwork.

Going into the kitchen, Sora searched through the fridge for something to eat. His aunt Quistis was bringing groceries later for the meal tomorrow, so the refrigerator wasn't as stocked as it normally was. Nothing really appealed to him, so he took out his phone and dialed Riku's number. The older teen had told him that his own relatives were coming, but Sora hoped Riku wasn't too busy with family to maybe grab a hamburger with him. Plus it gave him a reason to see him.

Riku answered almost right away. "Hey Sora, what's up?" he asked, wincing when his crazy cousins yelled in the background.

"I was hoping you'd wanna get a burger or something. If you can't it's alright," he said. Riku pounced on his idea, wanting to get out of the house and away from the insane triplets driving him nuts.

"I'll be right there," he said, snatching his car keys and all but running out of the house after telling Cloud he'd be back in a little while. He drove to Sora's house, glad to be out and far from his family. He got out and rang the doorbell, only waiting a few seconds before the door was opened and a bouncy Sora stepped out. Riku stared for a moment; he hadn't seen Sora this relaxed and happy in a very long time. His chest tightened as bright blue eyes locked on him; he could tell something was different, something good.

"Bye Dad, I'll be back later!" Sora called to Max.

"Just make sure you're back before six, your aunt, uncle and cousin will be here soon," Max said, smiling inwardly at his son's mood. Sora had told him about the doctor's visit while waiting for Riku, and though he'd been upset that Sora hadn't informed him about the appointment, he was glad that he'd had the mind to go for the test, and that it came back negative. He couldn't help but be angry that Sora had to go at all (another reason to hate Xemnas even more), but he was beyond relieved that Sora hadn't contracted anything from the bastard.

Sora got into the Mustang, the smile still on his face. Riku went to the nearest fast-food place, which happened to be McDonald's, and ordered two Big Macs and fries, along with two sodas. After getting the food, he drove them to a nearby park so they could eat. The park was pretty much deserted, most people either at home baking or making last-minute trips to the store before they closed.

Setting up the food and drinks on one of the tables under the large covered section, Riku sat opposite Sora and noticed that the brunet was practically wolfing his food down. A slight smirk sat on Riku's mouth at the sight; Sora's appetite had dwindled down so badly this past year it was good to see him eat heartily again.

Finally realizing he was being stared at, Sora glanced up and met aqua eyes. "What?" he asked, wiping his mouth with one of the napkins.

"Nothing," Riku shook his head, lips still tilted up. He finished his meal, throwing his empty hamburger container in the trash while sipping his drink and watching Sora. Sora was just finishing his fries and happened to catch the appraisal. He put his wrappers and dirty napkins in the trash, becoming self-conscious at the look he was receiving.

"Okay, what's going on? You seem awfully happy today," Riku questioned, eyeing Sora closely.

Sora swallowed hard, nerves once again jittery. "Well, I had my second HIV test today," he began. Riku perked up at that.

"What? Why didn't you tell me? I would've gone with you."

Sora shook his head. "Kairi was with me," he said, not seeing the slight flash of jealousy in Riku's eyes. "I didn't want to tell anyone until I found out the results."

Riku nodded. "And?" he asked after several seconds of silence.

A bright grin was aimed at him. "It came out negative," he said happily, and Riku smiled back at him. He was glad for the brunet, though a part of him was disappointed that he wasn't told earlier. But he could understand Sora's reason on not telling anyone. Yes, he would have loved to have been with Sora, but the fact that Sora was fine overrode his jealousy that Kairi had been with him.

"So what was going on at your house today? All I could hear was someone yelling," Sora said as he leaned his elbows on the table.

Riku snorted. "That was my deranged cousins. All I've heard all day long is Yazoo teasing Loz about crying, and Kadaj telling them both to shut up. I can't even think when they're around. And they get to be there all day tomorrow and Friday." He shuddered.

Sora laughed. "I know what you mean. Roxas is okay, but his older brother Zack, who's coming tomorrow, does the same thing to him. So I'm gonna have to listen to them screaming at each other too." Riku chuckled at how alike their families were. His aunt Larxene, his cousin's mother, was even louder than her sons. And she was going to cook the Thanksgiving meal. He'd better make sure his new MP3 player had plenty of batteries; he'd had to hide it from that demon dog (he'd caught her in his room _again_) Cloud called a pet.

The two talked for a while, the time passing quickly. As Sora looked at Riku's watch and saw it was past five, he stood and stretched a bit. "Well, I'd better get home, my aunt and uncle should be there by now," he told Riku. He threw his now empty drink away, waiting for Riku to join him. The silver-haired teen made his way around the table and walked beside Sora to where the car was parked.

To Riku's surprise – and delight – Sora actually wrapped his arms around the taller boy's waist and hugged him. Riku tentatively slid his arms around Sora's body, not sure how he'd react to someone touching him like that. Sora didn't stiffen or back away, and Riku relaxed and held the brunet closer. His nose nuzzled soft brown locks, inhaling the sweet scent of vanilla. He'd longed to do this for so long, and hadn't been sure Sora would ever let him this close. He figured it was part of Sora's relief at his test results, but Riku would take what he could get.

They drew apart shortly, Sora giving Riku an almost embarrassed look before moving around him and climbing into the car, his face beet-red. But Riku had a stupid, goofy grin on his face as he settled in the driver's seat.

_****I know generally most HIV tests can take up to two weeks to get results, but I saw a documentary about a year ago about HIV testing, and certain clinics can actually have the results in an hour or two. I didn't want to extend the story with waiting to find out in another chapter, so I used that concept here.****_


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters, nor do I make any money off this story.

**AN:** So here's chapter 17, hope you guys like it!

Thanks to **PinkFloydLady7**, **vIoLeT bUtTeRfLy 90**, **-Optomistic Emo Kleptomaniac-**, **Rose Riku**, **Gussie**, **Yumi-nachan**, **kage kitsune no yami**, and **lemonlimediddies** for your reviews. You guys are awesome!

**Chapter 17**

Sora stood in the doorway to Riku's living room from the kitchen. He breathed in the scent of fresh pine wafting from the huge tree in the corner of the living room in front of the large window; the smell of cinnamon came from the several red pillar candles Cloud had placed on the coffee table and mantel. A chuckle escaped him as he saw Fuu sneak another candy cane off the tree. Multi-colored lights twinkled in the dimly lit room, reflecting off the ornaments and star topper.

"Man, you guys went all out with the tree this year," Sora said as he gave a small grin to Riku, who was sitting at the table a few feet away.

Glancing up, Riku nodded. "Yeah, Fuu and Zex both wanted the biggest one we could find. It's gotta be at least nine feet tall." They'd gotten the tree two weeks ago, and had had a bit of a struggle to get it home due to its size. But it had been worth the hassle at the sounds of Fuu's squeals of delight. 'Course, he could say that now; it had been a different story as Sephiroth and Cloud had fought to untangle about twenty strands of lights and check each one to make sure it worked.

Riku smiled at the wistful expression on Sora's face. The tree lights lit his face softly, making his tan skin look darker. His chocolate-colored hair seemed almost black in this light, the strands in their usual spiky disarray. He knew Christmas was Sora's favorite time of year, and he hated that he'd missed out on it last year with him due to his own stupidity.

Kairi caught the glance Riku sent the brunet, and an idea formed in her mind. Cloud had strung up mistletoe all over the house, and a particularly large bundle was next to the front door. She was tired of waiting for Riku to make his move; she wanted to yell at him to stop moping around and just do it already! So she figured she'd give him a hand.

Making herself yawn, Kairi stretched her arm out and gave an exaggerated gasp as she 'happened' to see the time on her watch. "Oh! It's after ten, shouldn't you be getting Sora home, Riku?"

"Huh?" Startled, Riku looked up at the clock on the wall and noted the time. _Damn, it's_ _already that late?_ With a huff, he stood and walked to Sora; he was enjoying having the younger teen's company. "Hey Sora, you ready to go home? I told your dad I'd have you back before 11."

Sora nodded, heading over to the front door. Kairi sprang up and herded Sora right under the mistletoe, the shorter boy not even seeing where he was led. Riku arched a brow at the redhead, wondering what she was up to.

Giggling, Kairi pointed to the plant above Sora's head. "Riku, Sora's under the mistletoe, Christmas tradition says you have to kiss him." Her violet eyes met aqua, sending the silent message: _don't mess this up, here's a perfect opportunity!_

Gulping nervously, Sora just looked back and forth between the two. "U-um Kairi, it's okay, Riku doesn't-" his stammering objection was interrupted by Riku moving closer. The taller teen came to stand directly in front of Sora, gazing down at him.

"Well, it's Christmas tradition, like Kairi said," he spoke softly to a now-blushing Sora, "we wouldn't want to go against that, would we?" A small smirk played about his lips. He needed to remember to thank Kairi later for giving him this chance.

Shaking his head, Sora locked eyes with Riku as their faces moved closer together. Kairi stood off to the side, holding her breath (and a squeal) as Riku lowered his mouth onto Sora's. The kiss was brief, only a few seconds, but for Sora it seemed to last forever. His eyes closed the moment their mouths connected, savoring the contact. He'd dreamed so long of Riku kissing him, and he was almost shocked that it had actually happened. A dreamy smile curved his lips when Riku moved back.

Riku had to make himself pull back; he knew Sora was still a bit hesitant about touch, and he didn't want to scare him away. But the softness of his lips nearly drove him crazy with wanting more. A throat clearing snapped both boys out of their musings, and they turned to Kairi, who had a face-splitting grin on her features.

"Well, let's get going, guys," she all but skipped out of the house. Riku turned to gesture Sora out, and saw his little sister standing at the bottom of the stairs with a smile. His face heated up, "How long have you been there?" _Can't I get any privacy?_

"Long enough to see you kiss Sora," she said with a wink before going upstairs, leaving Riku staring after her with a bemused look on his face. He wasn't ashamed to have been seen kissing Sora; actually, he would have preferred to have done it in private, and for much longer. Shaking his head, he laughed quietly and followed an equally red-faced Sora to the car, where Kairi waited for them.

The ride to Kairi's house was quiet, the radio playing Christmas music at a low volume. Kairi smirked at Riku in the rearview mirror, glad her plan worked. Riku had complained of wanting to tell Sora his feelings for a while now, but he never had the courage. And when he found out the reason why Sora was so distant, he was afraid to let the brunet know for fear of scaring him off. But to his surprise – and relief – Sora seemed to welcome the kiss, not shy away. But Riku had to remind himself to take it slow and let Sora dictate how fast things would move.

Pulling up in front of Kairi's house, Riku put the car in park and let the redhead out on his side. He opened his mouth to say something, and Kairi beat him to the punch. "You're welcome," she said in a low voice. Her eyes hardened fractionally for a moment. "But don't hurt him again, Riku. You won't get a second chance. And I'll make you _very_ sorry if you do," she warned.

Riku chuckled. "I won't, don't worry." Her face relaxed again, and she waved both of them goodnight as she walked inside her house. Riku slid back into the driver's seat and buckled his seatbelt before heading back out onto the road.

The interior of the car was silent again but for the soft music, neither teen knowing quite what to say. Both were thinking about what had happened earlier, each with different thoughts on it. Riku was worried that maybe he'd crossed a line with Sora. He just didn't know how to approach the smaller teen. Knowing what had happened to him made it hard to predict how the brunet would react to his advances. He certainly didn't want to frighten Sora or make him uncomfortable, but he wasn't willing to ignore his feelings and risk the chance of Sora eventually being with someone else.

Sora was also contemplating the kiss. He didn't want to get his hopes up that Riku liked him the way he liked Riku; Kairi had pretty much goaded the silver-haired teen into kissing him by mentioning the mistletoe. He still remembered how Riku rejected him the first time, and didn't want to set himself up for that again. But it had been nice to be kissed properly; he tried not to think about the only other time he'd been kissed. If you could call that a kiss. He didn't like to consider it his first, since it was forced and hadn't been welcomed or reciprocated.

Brought out of his thoughts by the car stopping, Sora looked up and noticed they were in his driveway. He slowly undid his seatbelt and moved to open the door, hesitating as his hand lay on the handle. Before opening the door, he turned to Riku.

"Um, I know Kairi kinda pressured you into that whole mistletoe thing, but we're still okay, right? I mean, I know you don't like me like that, so I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything-" His rambling was halted as Riku put a finger against his lips.

Studying the face in front of him, Riku could see the anxiety in bright blue eyes. He leaned closer to Sora, his eyes locked on Sora's lips. Sora almost quit breathing at the look in Riku's aquamarine orbs as he unconsciously moved towards him as well. His breath hitched when Riku leaned in and brushed his lips over his own. His mind reeled at the knowledge that he was getting a second kiss from Riku.

Not being pushed away, Riku deepened the pressure of his mouth, feeling elated when Sora opened his mouth slightly instead of pushing him away. He wanted to shout when he felt a small hand rest lightly on his shoulder; he pulled Sora a bit closer to him, his own hands coming up to gently frame the brunet's cheeks.

Riku tentatively stroked Sora's lips with his tongue, asking for entrance. Sora parted his lips farther, and Riku instantly swept his tongue inside. Sora tasted like peppermint, the flavor lingering from one of the candy canes he'd gotten from Fuu. His tongue met Riku's, moaning at the sensation. Sora's mind sang as the kiss continued, his hand tightening on Riku's shoulder as all thoughts flew out of his head.

Drawing back, both teens breathless, Riku rested his forehead against Sora's as he fought to get his breathing back under control. He knew it did no good to look back and have regrets, but he could have had this over a year ago if he hadn't been dumb and let Sora slip away.

Rubbing the soft cheek in his right hand, Riku tilted his head back to look Sora in the eye. "I do like you, Sora. I've wanted to do that for the longest time, but was too damned afraid of what everyone else would think," he played with a lock of dark brown hair as he talked. At Sora's questioning gaze, Riku smiled. "And now the only one whose opinion really matters to me is you. I don't care what anyone else thinks. I was an idiot to let it bother me for as long as it did."

Sora nuzzled into the touch, content to just sit in the darkened car with Riku. He wasn't afraid of being alone with him, actually being with Riku made him feel safe. He remained silent at what Riku had just told him, his thoughts racing with the confession. He was almost afraid to believe it, but seeing how earnest Riku was banished his doubts.

"So what now?" he asked softly. Riku smiled down at him.

"Maybe we could go on a date, or two or three?" Sora laughed, causing Riku to chuckle as well.

"I'd like that," Sora whispered, his eyes shining from the lights on the dash. Even though Christmas was still nearly a week away, he felt like he'd just gotten his gift.

Riku had similar thoughts. He was glad to finally have that off his chest, and he was determined he wouldn't screw up again. The porch light turning on caught both boys' attention, and Riku nudged the brunet towards the door.

"You'd better go in, I don't want your dad getting mad at me for keeping you out late," he said. Sora opened the door, and Riku grabbed his hand just as he made to step out. "So, how about I pick you up tomorrow night for a movie and maybe something to eat?" He couldn't believe how nervous he was as he asked, and even more so as he waited for Sora's answer.

Sora beamed at him. "Yeah, sounds great. What time?"

"How about around six, give us plenty of time to pick a movie." Sora nodded, shutting the door and waving as Riku started the Mustang and pulled out of the driveway. Sora stepped inside, his smile not fading when he met the slightly stern look his dad gave him for being late.

** x**

Xigbar ducked down quickly as Riku drove past. He watched as Sora walked inside the house, debating on whether or not to tell Xemnas about what he'd seen. As possessive as the man had gotten over this kid, he knew if he told his friend about seeing Sora kiss the other boy it'd make Xemnas blow his top.

He cranked the white sedan he'd rented when the porch light shut off. After being seen last time, he'd made sure to get a different color and model of car. He'd just come back from another job, luckily it hadn't lasted long as Xemnas had been calling him nearly non-stop the entire time he'd been gone. But he needed to earn money, and since he was doing this for free for Xemnas, then he had to find some other jobs to make some quick cash.

Sighing and raking a hand through his unbound hair, Xigbar sped away from Sora's house. He ultimately decided not to mention what he'd seen to his friend. Xemnas was getting too unstable and basically crazy over this kid; he was genuinely concerned about him. And behind that concern was worry; if Xemnas became too unstable, what would he be capable of, especially if he viewed that pale-haired kid as his competition for Sora?

"Shit, this is getting too complicated," he muttered to himself as he drove to his motel to get some much-needed sleep. His head hurt; he'd figure out what to do tomorrow.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters, nor do I make any money off this story.

**AN:** Ok, I know some of you are ready to kill me for the lateness! I'm sorry, I've just been in a bit of a slump with this lately, but happily I was able to talk with my co-author last night, and we both took turns writing out the chapter and we finished it! Hopefully you guys enjoy it, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

Thanks to **Rose Riku**, **vIoLeT bUtTeRfLy 90**, **PinkFloydLady7**, **lemonlimediddies**, **Gussie**, **Yumi-nachan**, **.Jew**, **serenitylite14**, **Kyuuka-koinu**, **moonlight2356**, **Lil JJ**, and **Anayuki **for your reviews.

_Special thanks goes to my co-author Grey (Sephirothlover845), she wrote half of this chapter and helped me out of my funk. *Big hug*_

**Chapter 18**

Riku was smiling, a sort of smug grin on his face as he walked into the school, his right arm locked safely around Sora's shoulders. The smile didn't quite reach his eyes, he knew better than anyone the kind of people that went to this school; his look was purely to give a silent message that he and Sora are together. But he couldn't let Sora know that it bugged him, he had to be strong and protect his little brunet; no one else would ever lay a finger on him. He would make sure there would be hell to pay for anyone that did.

He was a bit surprised, the protective urge he had over Sora was like nothing he had ever experienced before. His eyes darted back and forth between the colorful students, his gaze never staying on a particular one for too long. He was taking in their reactions, letting them look and raise their brows. Some in disgust (that coming from Demyx and Saix, who were standing near the edge of the parking lot), others in surprise, but most were of indifference.

That really shocked him; he had been expecting lots of stares of disgust and hatred. And even though there were some, most of the student population looked like they could care less. And Riku had to wonder: had things changed that much in so little time, had people finally stopped giving a shit about who was dating who?

Or maybe it had always been that way, and he just hadn't seen it. Or his friends hadn't let him see it.

Riku let his gaze drop down to Sora, allowing it to linger longer than necessary on those pink, plump lips. The smug smile melted off his face, faster than Kairi on chocolate cake (she'd punch him if she ever heard his thoughts on _that_) as he saw Sora's tense, nervous expression. The boy looked terrified, his eyes glued to the floor, his posture stiff, and he walked as if there was something horrible following him. Riku felt a pang of guilt as he set his eyes on the skittish brunet; his heart pounded, and he unconsciously pulled Sora closer to his side, threading their fingers together in a tight clasp.

Sora's eyes remained trained on the floor as he and Riku walked down the hallway to homeroom. The chatter of the students drowned out his thoughts, and he wanted to groan in frustration. He hated attention, whether it be positive or negative. He didn't like being the center of attention; he felt as if they could all see right through him, their piercing gaze stripping him of his clothes and mind-raping him, revealing all his secrets.

That was the last thing he needed, to let these people inside his head. God only knew what havoc they would cause; he didn't trust them, any of them, other than his close friends who were few and far between. He knew they all plastered on fake smiles, followed by forced compliments just to get something. No one had ever bothered him unless they needed his help, be it math homework or science, or just to be seen with one of the popular kids to help their own image. As long as they needed him they'd be nice to him, but as soon as something went wrong they would turn their backs on him. His mind shamefully reminded him that he condemned them for doing the exact thing he'd done to Sora. He just thanked god that Sora forgave him for it.

Giving a mental sigh, Riku looked down at Sora again and gave the teen a squeeze as they made it to their classroom. "Hey, it's okay, no one will bother you as long as I'm here," he whispered soothingly. Sora glanced up and gave him a tremulous smile, and Riku tightened his embrace briefly before letting him go so they could sit at their desks. He couldn't help but to worry for the brunet; he'd been doing so good, but the moment they stepped foot on campus and Sora had seen some of the boys who'd bullied him glare menacingly he'd closed in on himself again. Riku wanted to find those boys and beat the crap out of them. No way would he allow them to touch Sora, and he sure as hell wasn't about to have all of his and Kairi's efforts of pulling Sora out of his shell be wasted.

Lulu walked into the room, Wakka right behind her. She headed straight for Sora, taking the seat next to him.

"So is it true? You and Riku are a couple now?" she asked in her usual dulcet tones, her brown eyes not quite as distant as they normally were. Wakka leaned over her desk and laughed.

"I got no problem with it. Just don't let anybody push you around Sora, ya?" the redhead grinned, then 'oomph'ed when his girlfriend drove her elbow into his stomach for crowding her personal space. He sat back complaining of abusive women as a slight smirk graced Lulu's lips.

Sora seemed to perk up at Wakka's statement. So far he hadn't been bothered by anyone, at least not physically. Riku's presence beside him almost guaranteed that no one would lay a finger on him so long as the pale-haired teen was with him. The only problem he'd had was seeing the hateful looks on some of his tormentors' faces. The expressions in their eyes and on their faces only brought up the horrible memories of what Xemnas had done to him, and it made him fearful and anxious about being around people.

What Sora didn't know was that Riku had arranged with Kairi and their friends to make certain that Sora was never left alone. He had four classes with Sora, so that would make it a bit easier to keep an eye on him. Of the three classes that he didn't share with Sora, Kairi had one other than History that both she and Riku took with Sora (Riku had begged her to switch seats so he could sit next to Sora, which had caused Kairi to giggle and tease him mercilessly about for weeks), and Tidus had Math with him while Selphie shared the other class, Phys. Ed. So Riku felt better, knowing that there would be someone he trusted with Sora at all times when he himself couldn't be there.

But while Riku felt better at the knowledge that Sora would be looked after at all times, Sora struggled with anger and depression over it. He slumped in his seat, his mind turning over everything happening. _How pathetic am I, that I have to have my friends acting like fucking bodyguards in school?_ He knew they meant well, and he _was_ grateful, but a part of him was so damned annoyed. He felt so weak, and he hated it.

As the school day wore on, the bitterness and irritation at himself grew. By his fourth class, he was ready to scream. He was in History with both Riku and Kairi, sitting between the two of them. He hid his annoyance from them; it wasn't them, it was him. He didn't want to say anything and hurt their feelings, since he knew they just wanted to protect him. Halfway through class, he asked to go to the bathroom. Riku eyed him closely, not wanting him to be alone, but Sora gave him a tight smile and told him he'd be right back.

Going down the hallway to where the boys' bathroom was located, Sora rushed in and leaned back against the wall. His eyes closed as he sucked in a quick breath. Standing there, he enjoyed the silence and simply being alone for the moment when he heard a toilet flush. Moving away from the wall, he straightened and made to head for one of the sinks lined up against the opposite wall when out of the last stall walked Demyx. Sora froze, about to walk back out the door when the blond boy turned and caught sight of him. A hateful sneer twisted Demyx's mouth as he moved forward, closer to Sora.

"Well if it isn't the little fag of the school. Where's your bitch protector, huh?"

Sora remained quiet. He backed away from Demyx as the other teen continually moved into his personal space until his back hit the wall and he could go no further. Demyx stood over him, glowering down at him.

"What do you want, Demyx?" Sora asked tiredly. He was so sick of this boy and his friends.

Demyx eyed the brunet up and down in a scathing manner. He snorted aloud. "I just don't get it. What the hell's so great about you? Riku was freaking king of this school! He could get any girl he wants, just being around him boosted your popularity. And what does he do? Turns queer for some little no-name waste of space!" Demyx all but shouted the last part in Sora's face.

Features taut in fear and anger, Sora glared at the blond. "What the hell have I ever done to you? All you've ever done is pick on me, call me names, and shove me around! I'm sick of it!" He panted now, his chest heaving as he gulped in air.

Demyx narrowed his eyes. He stepped even closer to Sora until he was right in his face, trying to intimidate the shorter boy. Sora stiffened, then suddenly his fear melted away. All he felt was anger. Anger at being picked on, his rage at his weakness, and all the bitterness, guilt and fury at what Xemnas had done to him finally culminated into a fierce surge inside him. Simply put, Sora was fed up. With a grunt, he raised his right knee and slammed it into Demyx's crotch as hard as he could. The boy let out a high-pitched shriek and dropped like a stone, groaning and crying on the bathroom floor as he cupped his privates.

Satisfaction welled up in Sora. He knew it was petty, but damn it felt good to finally dish out some pain instead of receiving it. He went to stand over Demyx. "You call me a fag, but you know what? I never see you with a girl; you're always with Saix. So what does that say about you?" No answer except more moaning and slight whimpers.

Just as he about-faced and headed for the exit, Riku slammed the door open. "Sora!" he called, his voice having a frantic note in it. But he calmed down as soon as he locked eyes with the brunet. He glanced past him to note Demyx on the floor. A silver brow rose in question.

Demyx's eyes were lowered; he was staring intently at the floor, still gasping in pain. His lips were in a thin line, and a sheen of sweat covered his cheeks. Riku looked at him in confusion; he couldn't help but wonder what had been happening in here before he came in. The air was thick with tension, all coming from the blond boy. Surprisingly Sora seemed at ease, something that shocked him; he gaped at the scene before him. What the hell was going on?

"It's okay, Riku," Sora clarified. "I'm okay."

Riku simply nodded, not knowing what else to do. This was strange, to say the least. "Alright, if you say so."

Demyx's head snapped up at the sound of Riku's voice, and he cursed. "I-I have to go!" he stuttered, grabbing his backpack and practically running out of the bathroom as much as he was able, his brow scrunched up in pain.

Sora sighed; he couldn't believe he had just screamed at Demyx. He couldn't believe he had just screamed at Demyx and _gotten away with it_. He couldn't believe he was still living and breathing. He had no clue where his moment of bravery had come from, but it had been exhilarating. He felt that for once in his life he didn't have to put up with all those stupid bullies' shit.

He had Riku, and Kairi. Those bullies couldn't hurt him, not anymore, Riku had promised they wouldn't. And he was going to take his word for it; he was no longer going to let people push him around. He may be small, but he wasn't that helpless, not anymore; he realized his friends made him strong. As long as Riku was around there would be nothing to worry about.

The two walked silently back to class. Riku would give him looks every few seconds, a smirk around his mouth. He'd been so worried at first when Sora had been gone so long, and then after hearing yelling, he'd taken off running towards the bathroom. But instead of seeing what he'd feared, Sora hurt and bleeding, being hit or worse, to his surprise he stumbles in and finds not a hair harmed, and Demyx of all people the one on the floor.

"So are you gonna tell me exactly what happened in there?" Riku finally asked.

Brown spikes bobbed up and down as Sora sighed and shrugged. "I just had to use the bathroom; Demyx was being an asshole, so I introduced him very closely to my knee." Riku's loud burst of laughter echoed down the hall. He continued chuckling as he drew Sora to his side with his arm draped over the brunet's shoulders. He couldn't wait to tell Kairi about this.

Kairi would probably gape at him just as he had when he had walked in on it, and after a couple minutes of staring she'd probably burst out laughing and call him a liar. She'd get a kick out of it when she found out it was true though! Sora finally standing up for himself, who would have thought the day would come?

Though he did wonder just what exactly Demyx had said to make Sora finally lose it. Knowing Sora as long as he had, he knew without a doubt that the kid was harmless, wouldn't hurt a fly. Demyx must have said something awful for him to finally explode. That or maybe Sora had just finally gotten tired of being pushed around, shit like that got old quick. He wasn't surprised that Sora lost it, he was actually kind of proud… he couldn't help but wonder though, what if he never would have made up with Sora? Would he have ended up just like Demyx? In pain with a knee to the crotch, or worse; Sora finally fed up and done?

If he hadn't made up with Sora, would the brunet hate him right now? He didn't want to even think about something like that.

**x**

Sora had remained calm and quiet for the rest of class. Kairi had given them a questioning glance when they'd come back, but Sora had simply smiled and sat at his desk, finishing his work. She studied him for several moments before turning to Riku. The silver-haired teen had grinned and mouthed 'I'll tell you at lunch'.

Kairi had sat in her seat impatiently, eyeing the clock above the teacher's desk and counting down the minutes to lunch. She was dying to know what happened, what had put that shit-eating grin on Riku's face. So when the bell rang, she jumped up, shoving her books into her bag as fast as she could and raced to catch up with Sora and Riku.

Sitting at their usual table, along with Selphie, Tidus (who took his seat next to Kairi), Wakka and Lulu, Kairi rushed to grab her plate of food and got back to the table as quickly as she could. She'd barely sat down across from Sora, who was surprisingly very relaxed-looking as he leaned back into Riku, who had pulled his chair right next to Sora's, before her curiosity got the better of her and she blurted out, "So, what's going on? What happened?"

Riku gazed around at the curious faces all watching him; Kairi had told Tidus that something had happened, and he'd in turn told Wakka and Lulu. Selphie was the only one with a puzzled look, since she had no idea what any of them were talking about.

"It's no big deal, Kairi," Sora muttered, his face heating up a bit in embarrassment. Riku shook his head.

"No big deal? You had the guy on the floor, practically crying for his mommy!" At that, everyone started asking questions, all the voices blending into one annoying mass.

"Wait, wait, wait! Sora, you did what? And to whom?" Kairi asked, shocked.

Riku answered again. "I'm not sure what exactly happened, but apparently little Demyx found out it's not very nice to piss off Sora. I heard shouting, but when I walked in the bathroom, there's Demyx, lying on the floor, holding his family jewels and moaning. You should have seen it!" His eyes shone with pride for Sora, who blushed at the words and leaned farther into Riku as he continued eating his lunch.

Everyone had shocked faces, then Kairi let out a loud giggle; soon all the teens at the table were roaring in laughter, which got even worse as a very red-faced Demyx walked hurriedly by their table, his eyes on the floor.

The responses that came from everyone at the table amused Riku to no end. He wrapped an arm around Sora's waist, watching with a smile on his face as the brunet turned even redder and squirmed in embarrassment. He was blushing madly, not used to having so many people staring at him all at once. It made him more than uncomfortable, and he unconsciously clung to Riku for support. It wasn't that people made him uncomfortable, at least not as bad as it did before; it was the fact that all the attention was on him.

From his friends to Demyx, and from all the other students because of his and Riku's new relationship. He had gotten odd looks all day; he'd tried to ignore them though. Knowing they would do more damage than good.

"Sora, you beast! I never knew you had it in you," Wakka praised teasingly.

Sora blushed redder, his face now resembling a tomato. "It's not that big a deal, guys."

Selphie shrieked, "Not that big a deal! It's a huge deal, it's about time someone put that jerk in his place."

"She's right, Sora," Kairi agreed. "All he's ever done is pick on you."

"Yeah… but he used to be so nice," Tidus' voice trailed off for a moment. "Back in elementary school we used to hang out all the time, he used to be so hyper and sweet." You could hear the wistful note in Tidus' voice as he reminisced about better times with his twin.

Riku narrowed his eyes at Tidus, he could care less how nice Demyx used to be. He was a fucking asshole now, and that's what counted! He wasn't about to give the guy a break just because way back when he had been a half-decent person.

"Yeah well, not anymore!" Riku snapped. He glared over across the room to where Demyx was sitting with Saix, his aqua eyes shooting daggers at the blond. Maybe now he'd learn to leave Sora alone.

_****So I wanted to show Sora finally take a stand for himself, you can only push a person so far before they push back.****_


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters, nor do I make any profit off this story.

**AN: **So this chapter marks the start of where it gets a bit darker – if you don't count the third chapter – and there are about three or four more chapters to go before the end. Hope you guys enjoy!

**Chapter 19**

Max sighed as he rubbed his tired eyes; he'd been reading page after page of basically the same thing, and his temper flared at the useless paper before him. He felt almost like he'd been getting the grunt work lately. His workload had nearly tripled the past two months due to Xemnas just not showing up to work. _Bastard_ he thought vehemently, knowing the other man's absence couldn't be a good thing. Now he got stuck with a boring burglary case that was so open and shut it practically solved itself, and it was once again dumped on him because of Xemnas.

Shoving the files away from him, Max leaned back in his chair and glanced at the clock. Seeing it was a little after ten p.m., he decided to call it a day and head home. At least it was Friday, he had two whole days to relax and sleep in if he wanted. And since Sora had called him earlier in that afternoon for permission to sleep over at Riku's, he didn't have to worry about his son being home alone this late at night.

Slipping his jacket on and grabbing his briefcase, he locked his office door and walked to the elevator, pressing the call button. He leaned tiredly against the side of the interior, ignoring the annoying piano music playing softly. Getting out on the parking deck level where his car was parked, Max nodded at the night watchman sitting at his desk next to the parking entrance and pulled his keys out. As he got closer to his Lexus, he noticed the tires looked odd; it was a bit hard to see in the muted lighting of the deck. A frown marred his brow as he walked faster, then a scowl settled on his face and he cursed loudly as he finally got close enough for a better look. All four of his tires had been slashed.

Anger rushing through him, Max briskly backtracked to the security guard. "Has anyone been down here recently?" he barked at the now cowering man. The guard was no small man, but even he knew not to agitate an irate Max Banford.

The guard shook his head. "It's been pretty quiet here; I haven't seen anyone other than you since everyone left at five, except for Mr. Valentine, and Mr. Deveroux was here too a while ago. Is something wrong?" The guard shifted on his feet anxiously as he gulped at the murderous expression on Max's face.

Max fumed as he yanked out his cellphone and called a local auto service. Good thing Sora was with Riku, as it would probably be near midnight before Max would get home finally. He ignored the security guard as he arranged for someone to come and change his tires out so he could drive home.

**x**

Riku paused on the threshold of his bedroom, his eyes narrowing on Sora. Or more accurately, on what Sora was holding. The brunet was holding a hyper Tinker Bell in his arms, the poodle's tail wagging as she licked Sora's face enthusiastically. She froze as she caught sight of Riku, her tail going still and small growls erupting from her throat. Puzzled at the dog's sudden change, Sora glanced back and saw Riku standing behind him.

Setting down the soda he'd gotten for Sora on his dresser, Riku moved to the side of the doorway and glared at Tink. "Out, you stupid rat!" he yelled, a smirk of satisfaction on his face as the dog jumped out of Sora's arms, scampered past him and bolted down the stairs. He shut the door firmly, then picked up the can and handed it to Sora.

"I don't get why you're so mean to her," Sora laughed. Personally he thought Tinker Bell was adorable.

"That dog is a spawn of Satan," Riku muttered. Sora just chuckled at his boyfriend.

"You know she just wants your attention. She's a sweet dog once you get to know her."

Riku snorted. "Pissing on my carpet, biting me – twice – and destroying my stuff is definitely not the way to grab my attention," he said sardonically. Sora just burst out into hearty laughter at that, rolling onto his back on the floor at Riku's feet. Riku smiled, loving the sound of Sora's laugh. Kneeling down, he ran a hand along Sora's smooth cheek and leaned down for a quick kiss. Sora responded, but before the kiss could deepen Riku drew back, sitting cross-legged next to the brunet.

Sora sat up as well, popping the top of his drink and taking a sip. He was sitting on his sleeping bag as a cushion; he'd roll it out fully when they settled down for the night. Riku held back a sigh of disappointment as he eyed it. He'd told Sora they could share his bed as it was a full size, but Sora had turned red in embarrassment and shaken his head negatively. He knew Riku wouldn't try anything, but he just wasn't ready to even sleep next to someone else, no matter who it was. It was actually a big step for him to sleep in the same room alone with anyone else (he didn't have that worry at Kairi's as she always let him sleep in the guest room). Riku understood that, but it didn't mean he had to be happy about it. And Sora was right, he would never push him into anything that would make the brunet uncomfortable, but it would be nice if he could just hold the smaller teen in his arms while he sleeps.

While they sat on the floor and continued watching the movie Riku had put in his DVD player, Sephiroth knocked on the door then poked his head in. "Riku, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Riku sprang up at the strange note in his father's voice, "I'll be right back." Sora nodded, attention back on the movie; Riku noted he didn't appear to have picked up on the unusual vibe from Sephiroth.

Stepping out into the hallway, Riku stood in front of his father. Seeing the look on Sephiroth's face, Riku began to grow more worried.

"What's wrong, Dad?"

Sephiroth glanced back at Sora to make sure he couldn't hear them. "Sora's father called a few minutes ago, someone cut up his tires while he was at work," he said softly, hoping his voice wouldn't carry to the other teen. Riku had told him some of what was going on, omitting the rape; he didn't think Sora would be comfortable with anyone else knowing about that. He'd basically told his father that Sora was being stalked and that the guy had hurt him without going into specific details.

Aqua eyes widened at what he'd been told. "Does he know who did it?" Riku was pretty sure who'd done it, but he knew no one could do anything without solid proof.

Sephiroth shook his head. "He didn't say. But he wants us to keep a close eye on Sora, and try to keep him inside tomorrow. I know you two had plans, but I think it would be wise to cancel them until this clears up. I told Max that Sora could stay tomorrow night as well, is that alright with you?"

Riku nodded. A part of him was glad that he'd get to spend more time with Sora, it was just too bad it was under such circumstances.

"Thanks Dad," Riku said, a small smile on his face. He turned to go back into his room, noticing that Sora was giving him a speculative look from his position on the floor. Riku had an uncanny feeling that the teen somehow knew of what had just been said, even though he knew there was no way he could have heard them as low as they were talking. He mentally shrugged to himself and plastered a smile on his face as he headed back into his room.

Sora gazed closely at Riku as the older teen came inside the bedroom. He flopped onto his mattress, his head dangling off the side as aqua eyes focused on Sora's face. Silver hair hung loosely as Riku returned the stare. "What?" he asked quietly. He hated keeping Sora in the dark, but he knew it would just upset the brunet if he found out about his dad's car.

Sora just shook his head and looked back at the television on the small stand near the window. He suppressed a sigh; he knew he could be a bit naïve at times, but he wasn't stupid. Something was going on, and no one was going to tell him. It was so frustrating at times!

Frowning to himself, Sora decided that first thing in the morning he'd go home and talk to his father. He needed to know what was going on, and he was determined that he'd find out.

**x**

Max resisted the urge to slam the front door of his home as he stepped inside. It was pushing two a.m. He was tired, angry and frustrated. He'd spent the last three hours talking to the police about the damage done to his vehicle, and the damn auto repairmen were late with his tire changes, causing him to sit in the deck for nearly an hour after the police left. The camera for the parking garage had (conveniently) gone offline during the time his tires were destroyed, and the police really couldn't do anything due to lack of evidence.

After calling the police, Max had called Vincent to tell him what had happened. He'd learned that Xemnas had come in and left his letter of resignation, cleaning his office of any personal items. Max's gut told him that instead of being glad the man was gone, it would just mean trouble for his son; God knows what the son of a bitch would do now. How the hell was he supposed to keep a closer eye on Sora when his caseload had grown exponentially due to Xemnas' absence?

So he'd called Riku's father to let him know about the situation, and to hopefully have someone with Sora to watch over him while he tried to sort out the gigantic mess at work. Max leaned back on his couch, the living room in darkness as he'd not bothered to turn on any lights.

"So much for my relaxing weekend," he snorted derisively, silently cursing Xemnas for the thousandth time as he got up and climbed the stairs wearily to his bedroom.

x

Riku woke up a little past nine the next morning; he yawned and stretched before sitting up and swinging his legs over the edge of his bed. Looking down, he bent to shake Sora awake so they could head to the kitchen for some breakfast, but immediately saw the other boy was gone from his sleeping bag. Shrugging to himself, Riku figured he'd already gone downstairs to get something to eat.

After a short trip to the bathroom, Riku pulled off his sleeping shorts and shirt and slipped on a pair of jeans and a regular t-shirt before heading for the stairs. He followed the smell of pancakes and eggs, stepping into the kitchen with a small smile. His smile faded a bit as he failed to locate Sora. Cloud was at the stove transferring the last batch of golden pancakes to a plate, a large platter of scrambled eggs next to the high stack. Sephiroth was at the table eating, as were Fuu and Zexion. But Sora was nowhere in sight.

"Dad, have you seen Sora?" Riku asked as he pulled out a chair.

"I thought he was still in your room." Sephiroth looked to Cloud, but the blond shook his head. "I haven't seen him this morning. Is he in the bathroom?"

"No, I was just in there." Riku was getting worried now. He glanced at his brother and sister. "Have either of you seen him?"

Fuu, her mouth full of food, gave him a blank look before shaking her head negatively. Zex spoke up, "He said he had to do something at his house, so he walked home." Riku paled noticeably and bolted for the front door, grabbing his car keys and sliding on a pair of shoes as he ran out.

_Shit! What the hell was he thinking?_ Riku cursed in his mind as he started his car and all but slung out of the driveway. He watched the sidewalks, hoping to catch sight of Sora. He knew the teen couldn't have been gone too long, but the fact that he was nearly at Sora's house, which was a good forty-five minute walk, and no sign of Sora made his stomach knot up.

Pulling up in front of Sora's house, Riku slammed out of his car and ran up to the front door. He rang the doorbell, then pounded on the door for about thirty seconds until a very irritated Max opened the portal.

"What?" he barked, his eyes red from exhaustion. He'd only gotten about four hours of sleep, and he wasn't too thrilled to be jerked awake by the sound of someone trying to knock his door down. His annoyance died a little as he saw it was Riku, and immediately his tired brain jumped to Sora.

Riku gulped at the snapping man. "I'm sorry to bother you sir, but is Sora here?"

Max's brows drew together in a deep frown. "I thought he stayed with you last night."

"He did, but he left this morning. He told my brother he was coming here."

Max cursed, running a hand through his dark hair. "He's not here, I passed his bedroom and his door is open with the bed made." Turning, the older man briskly walked back into his home, Riku following. The teen's stomach was even more twisted inside with worry for his boyfriend as he trailed behind Max, his thoughts solely on where Sora could be and hoping he was okay.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters, nor do I make any money off this story.

**AN:** I am so very sorry for being gone so long, I never intended to take this much time for a chapter. I struggled with it quite a bit, as I lost my focus on it during the holidays as I was working and had such limited time on the computer. I hope you guys enjoy it!

Big thanks to Vitty Rose for reading over this for me, you're awesome Cynthia!

**Chapter 20**

Sora trembled as he lay curled in on himself in the trunk of Xemnas' car. The man had not trusted him to stay put in the backseat, so he'd waved a gun in Sora's face and all but pushed the terrified teen in the cramped space.

"_One noise and I go straight for dear old Max and put a bullet right between his eyes,"_ the man threatened as he smirked down on Sora before slamming the trunk lid shut. His warning ensured that Sora would not try to scream for help.

Sora blinked back the tears burning the corners of his eyes; his breath huffed out in gasps as the air was a bit thin in the dark compartment. Panic nearly overwhelmed him as he tried to regulate his breathing, his body bouncing with every bump the car made. He forced himself to remain as calm as possible, knowing if he blindly panicked then it would be even worse; he needed to keep a calm head if he wanted even a chance of getting out of this and back home.

Sora cursed himself for the hundredth time as he lay there. Why did he venture out early by himself? If he'd just waited half an hour, he knew Riku would have given him a ride. But his stubborn nature had overruled his sensible side, and he'd rushed for home. He knew Riku and his father were keeping something from him, and damn it he wanted answers. He was tired of everyone treating him as if he doesn't have a mind of his own. This is his life! He deserved to know if something was going on.

His thoughts were jolted by the abrupt stop of the car. He heard the front door shut, then the dim sound of footsteps heading to where he was laying. The trunk suddenly lifted, and he sucked in a lungful of fresh air as his head came up to survey his surroundings.

Blinking, his sight a bit blurry due to being in almost total darkness and then thrust into a brightly lit atmosphere, Sora stumbled as his arm was roughly grabbed and used to haul him out of the trunk when he didn't move fast enough. He was dragged behind Xemnas as the man pulled him along through what Sora assumed was an apartment parking lot. Glancing around, he saw the building where he was being led to was almost derelict, the parking lot pretty much empty except for one or two vehicles. There was no sign of anyone around, not even a voice could be detected. He didn't struggle as Xemnas made a point of digging the muzzle of the gun into his side through the pocket of his jacket. A silent caution to keep quiet.

Their footsteps crunched on gravel as they walked, Sora being led harshly as his arm was held in an iron grip, which Xemnas used to pull him; they came to an old, beat up door leading into a dimly lit hallway; a worn staircase rested at the opposite end from where they'd entered. Sora barely had time to glimpse the peeling wallpaper and broken windows lining the narrow entranceway before he was pulled behind Xemnas and up the stairs. It seemed like he climbed steps forever before he was directed down another hallway and stopped in front of a door with chipped paint hanging all over it. He was jerked inside, his arm beginning to go numb due to the fingers gripping it tightly.

Xemnas couldn't be happier with the way his morning had turned out. He'd gone out for a trip to the airport, and what does he come across as he's driving down the street? The very object of his warped desire, walking fast with his head down and not paying attention to the environment around him. It had been with an almost gleeful grin that Xemnas had noted no other cars in the vicinity, the nearest house a few blocks up and well out of range for help.

Not about to question his luck, Xemnas quickly parked along the curb ahead of Sora and jumped out. He grabbed the 9mm handgun he'd gotten a few days ago out of the glove box and palmed it as he blocked the teen's path. Seeing the car stop, Sora had frozen in place until he'd recognized Xemnas and saw the gun flash in front of him.

He'd damn near _hummed_ as he drove to his new apartment that one no one knew about. It was in the seedier section of town, with only a few residents, most of whom were either drug addicts or prostitutes. The perfect place to keep a low profile as no one would suspect he'd be there. He'd ditched his luxury car and gotten a used one; he'd almost sneered at the man who sold it to him. Xemnas had grown up in wealth, to even be seen near a car like this was so far beneath him. But it was necessary for his plans.

Gone were the expensive tailored suits for the moment. He'd bought some plain clothes to blend in more with his surroundings, and his very recognizable silver hair was now a muted brown thanks to a bottle of temporary hair dye. He'd hated having to change his appearance and stay in his cheap residence, but as he drove to his apartment, he smiled smugly to himself; it was all worth it now. After all, he now had in his possession the reason he'd done all those things and gone into hiding.

Xigbar jerked awake at the sound of the front door to Xemnas' new apartment being slammed shut. He'd been napping on the shabby couch, having come in the night before from a long flight from northern Europe; his jet lag had finally caught up with him. Didn't help that he'd swigged down an entire bottle of vodka with his last client after finishing a job. The guy had drunk him under the table. Last time he'd ever go drinking with a Russian. He swiped a hand over his face as he sat up and got his bearings. His bleary eyes locked onto the terrified face of the boy Xemnas was obsessed with. _Sora._

Xemnas had a hold of the teen's arm roughly, pulling him into the room and causing the brunet to stumble a bit. The almost maniacal grin on his friend's face made Xigbar blanch. His dark eyes traced the movements of his friend as he propelled the frightened teenager further into the room, all but slinging Sora onto the couch next to Xigbar.

"We need to be ready to leave within the next hour; my private jet has been fueled and is waiting for us at the small airport just outside of town," Xemnas' voice floated to the two on the couch as he moved into the bedroom, situated directly off the living room space; the door was right across from where Sora was sitting. He grabbed a suitcase from the closet and began pulling clothes from hangers and out of the large dresser. His manner was almost… happy as he continued packing, his head lifting every few moments to glance at the quiet teen seated stiffly on the sofa. Everything was going according to his design.

Watching Xemnas from his position on the furniture, Xigbar frowned to himself. He noticed how the boy was half-curled in on himself at the end of the couch, his eyes on the front door. He saw how the boy's gaze constantly swerved between him and the portal, but he seemed too scared to risk a run for it. He tried to ignore the feeling of pity for the kid in the back of his mind.

"Xem," he spoke up, "what the hell's going on?"

When no answer was given, Xigbar got up and stood by the doorway, grabbing hold of Sora and pulling him along with him so he'd not have to worry about the kid trying to escape; his stomach churned when the kid whimpered at his tight grip. He was torn between helping his friend and the growing feeling of wanting to help Sora. "Xem?" his voice was hard, determined to get some kind of response.

"Have you got the car ready? I want to be on the plane in half an hour." Xemnas ignored his friend as he pulled his now full suitcase out of the bedroom, setting it beside the small table next to the front door where his keys were laying. He'd called the pilot of his private jet and told him to be ready for take-off at any time. He had a nice villa in the Italian countryside that he'd told no one about, and he planned to take Sora there where nobody would know either of them and he could be alone with the teen with no interference from anyone. His perfect pet to train.

Xemnas had been preparing for this for more than two months. He'd pulled all his money out of his bank account, transferring it to a small bank in Messina, on the island of Sicily; his villa was located a few miles outside of the city with about twenty acres surrounding it, making it perfect for privacy. It had been his parents' vacation home, and they'd left it to him shortly before they'd died several years ago in an automobile accident.

Xigbar eyed his friend closely. He remained holding Sora immobile, feeling how tense the kid was in his grasp. A wave of pity overcame him, and guilt ate at him. This kid shouldn't be here; he didn't know what exactly Xemnas had planned for him (not that he couldn't guess some of it), and the knot twisting his stomach apart wouldn't go away. He didn't really understand why he felt the way he did toward Sora, he'd never felt guilty before in his life. It was an odd feeling.

"Xem," he spoke up, his gaze cool outwardly, "where do you plan to go? You know if you take him and leave you'll have the FBI after your ass for kidnapping."

Sauntering almost happily, Xemnas paused in his packing and came to the doorway of his bedroom. "No one will ever find us, you worry too much Xigbar."

This did nothing to alleviate Xigbar's growing anxiety. The feeling that he'd made a huge mistake wouldn't leave him, and the urge to rush the kid out was getting harder to control. He was starting to regret ever agreeing to help his friend grab the silent teen. He knew, though he tried his hardest to block the thought out of his mind, why Xemnas wanted Sora. Didn't mean he agreed with it or even liked it. But Xemnas was his oldest friend, and he'd always done what the man asked of him.

Eyeing Xemnas closely, Xigbar noted all the differences in the other man; he'd not let himself really see before just how… crazed Xemnas had become. The extremes he'd gone to just to get his hands on Sora made his hair stand on end. He'd dyed his hair, moved into a dump of an apartment, quit his job, transferred his entire wealth overseas, and now he was planning to take the kid out of the country. He knew, and he could see even Sora knew, that if Xemnas got Sora on that plane his family and friends would never see him again.

Snorting softly, Xigbar closed his eyes momentarily and sighed. The one thing he'd been lacking all his life was now glaring him in the face: his conscience. Something about Sora drew it out of him, and with a sudden decision he opened his eyes and acted.

**x**

Sora couldn't meet the gaze of the man who held him, the tears he'd been keeping at bay flooding his eyes. After hearing Xemnas' words, he knew there was no way out. The man planned to take him out of the country, and he'd never see his dad again. Never see Riku again.

He'd been hoping maybe someone would see him in the hallway as he was taken to Xemnas' apartment door and either help him or call the police, but the hall had been empty. And seeing the worn appearance of the place, Sora realized even if somebody had seen him, he most likely would not receive any help. And hearing how Xemnas wanted to be on a plane made his stomach drop. He had no idea where the man wanted to take him, but he just knew it would be a place where he'd have no chance of help or escape. The very thought of it almost caused him to break down, but he somehow remained standing as the big man continued holding his arm.

"I'm just gonna sit out on the couch with the kid until you're ready," the man holding him said loudly. Sora heard the responding grunt of acknowledgement from the bedroom.

Suddenly he was jolted roughly towards the front door. Looking up, Sora noticed that the bedroom door where Xemnas was packing was almost completely shut. No wonder the sound Xemnas made had sounded muted.

"Hey kid," Sora slowly craned his neck and met the look the tall man gave him, puzzled at why he was whispering.

"Look," he continued, "I'm gonna unlock this door, and I want you to run as fast as you can, you got it?"

Nodding dumbly in surprise, Sora watched as the man grabbed the keys off the table where they'd been tossed, being as quiet as he could. He didn't quite understand why the man, who had obviously been helping Xemnas, was now helping him, but he didn't question him. No reason to jinx his luck.

"Good. And no matter what you hear, you just keep running. The stairs lead directly to the exit, don't stop when you reach it. When you get outside, head that way," Xigbar pointed his hand towards the back of the apartment so Sora would know which way he meant, "there's a side street about a block away that connects to a small alley near a gas station. There's a phone booth just outside of it."

Shaking in shocked relief, Sora just shook his head in agreement with what the man said as he slipped the key into the lock and opened the door. Xigbar ushered Sora out, his head swiveling anxiously in the direction of the bedroom as he heard a slight noise.

"Go!" he urged the brunet, who gave him a weak nod and took off running down the hall. Just as he reached the stairwell, Sora heard the distinct sounds of shouting. Fearing that Xemnas would be coming after him any second, he tore off down the stairs as fast as his feet would carry him. His mind went blank as he ran, not focusing on anything but gaining the ground floor.

Right when he reached the last few steps, a gunshot rang out. Sora stumbled a bit, his face raised upwards towards where he'd just come for several moments in frightened bewilderment before gathering his senses and all but jumping down the remaining stairs. He hit the door leading to his freedom and pushed, his feet practically flying as he began sprinting down the street in the route Xigbar had pointed out as if the devil himself were on his heels.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters, nor do I make any profit off this story.

**AN:** Sorry for the wait! *again* Struggled with this chapter, it was hard to get it to come out the way I wanted it to (which it still didn't). I'm gonna try to work on the next – and final – chapter as soon as I can, but it could be a while before it's posted as I got a new laptop (yay!) but unfortunately I don't have MS Word so I kinda got my chapters locked. But I'm trying a new program on here (which is how I was luckily able to finish this chapter – had to copy+paste what I'd had saved off my other computer after publishing on my ffnet account) and my older brother is also sending me a disc with the MS programs to install onto my laptop.

Thanks to **Segaa**, **iFilb3rt**, **DemonessofDepartingSorrows**, **xXJuliets SecretXx**, **DieChan**, **Kingdom hearts birth by sleep**, **Phantasmal Abduction**, **underhandlilies**, **Tobi-luvs-itachi**, **ManicAngel8**, **.Jew**, **Gxmwp**, **Peaceful Dragon Rose**, **Cilla**, **fire-blossom19**, **pearlsXofXsin**, **kage kitsune no yami**, **Rose Riku**, **nearcreature**, **Sesshomarubaby18**, **Ryder** **Bellamiren**, **ManaRoanam**, **Roanam**, **Come-at-me-BRO**, **Chrisdaae13**, and **BlueBlood** for your reviews. You guys are awesome!

Huge thanks to Vitty Rose for reading over this for me, you don't know how big a help you've been!**^_^**

**Chapter 21**

Sora ran almost blindly down the alley Xigbar had pointed out to him. His breath escaped in harsh puffs, his lungs feeling like they were burning as he dodged dumpsters and rounded a corner before catching sight of the aforementioned gas station. He ran straight for the lone payphone just off to the side, his hands searching frantically through his pockets for any loose change. He couldn't even remember if he had any change, his mind had pretty much blanked out in the need to reach some sort of safety.

Feeling the cold, smooth metal of several coins in his fingers (thank God he'd not thrown his change out), Sora pulled out everything in his pocket and felt like jumping for joy when he found over a dollar's worth of quarters, dimes and nickels in his palm. He made sure to face the alley he'd just come out of, only taking his eyes off it to punch the numbers for Riku's cell phone.

Why he didn't dial his father's phone he didn't know; all he knew was he wanted to see and hear Riku the most at that moment. He waited anxiously for Riku to pick up, those few rings taking what felt like hours instead of mere seconds before he finally heard the voice he longed for.

_"Hello?"_

"R-Riku?"

_"Sora? Where are you? Are you alright?"_ Even over the line Sora could hear the utter relief in his boyfriend's voice when he spoke.

"I'm not really sure where I am, I'm at a payphone. It's right outside a gas station." His gaze constantly swiveled from the alley to the busy road in front of him, ready to run at any sign of Xemnas.

_"Give me the address, I'm coming to get you right now,"_ Sora could dimly hear the sounds of Riku getting into his car, someone saying, _"I'm coming with you,"_ then the engine starting.

**x**

Riku was slumped in the lone recliner in his father's living room, glaring at the wall. His cell phone was beside him, placed on the arm of the chair. The angry look marring his features was due to him just sitting there doing nothing while Sora was god knows where. He couldn't let himself think about what might be happening to him, it would drive him completely crazy.

Roxas and Axel were sitting on the couch; Riku had given them directions to his house after calling to see if Roxas had seen Sora. Axel had been with him, and both had jumped on his bike and raced to Riku's house after hearing he was missing. Max had also driven to their house, and he was seated in the kitchen with Sephiroth and Cloud talking to a pair of police officers; normally missing person reports had to be filed after 12 hours or so, but Max had informed them that Sora was being stalked by an adult male and they'd taken the call a bit more seriously. Sephiroth had given Max permission for the police to come to his home as he'd figured it would be better to have them at the last place Sora was seen.

Riku didn't pay attention to the adults' strained conversation less than fifteen feet away. He was anxious with worry, and wanted nothing more than to be out doing something to find his boyfriend. The waiting and not knowing was killing him; Sora had been missing for nearly four hours now. Roxas and Axel gave him varying worried glances, both concerned and wondering about where Sora could be.

Getting up, he snatched his phone from the chair and stepped outside. He wanted his phone near just in case. Roxas frowned and got up, following Riku outside where the taller teen was pacing in agitation in front of the steps leading into the house.

Taking a deep breath of air, Riku sighed in frustration and sat down heavily on the bottom step of the small porch. No sooner had he sat than his phone began ringing, the caller ID showing a number he didn't recognize. Normally he wouldn't answer calls if he didn't know the number, but for some reason he decided to pick up.

"Hello?" he answered a bit tersely; if it was some telemarketer he'd be seriously pissed.

_"R-Riku?"_

That stutter was the sweetest sound he'd ever heard.

"Sora? Where are you? Are you alright?" Riku's breath was coming out in pants due to his excitement and relief at hearing Sora's voice. Roxas ran to him, trying to hear what was being said.

_"I'm not really sure where I am, I'm at a payphone. It's right outside a gas station."_ Riku could hear the fear evident in Sora's voice; he wanted, no needed, to get to him as fast as possible.

"Give me the address, I'm coming to get you right now," he ordered, already at his car door with keys in hand.

"I'm coming with you," Roxas' tone brooked no refusal. Riku just nodded, unlocking the car doors and slipping behind the wheel as Roxas jumped into the passenger's seat.

"Go tell my uncle what's going on, and tell him I'll call when we get to Sora," he told Axel, who simply nodded and ran inside.

Riku was speeding off down the road before Sora had finished giving him the name of the street on the sign above his head. Riku had no idea where it was, but for the first time he was glad to have the GPS his father had insisted on installing. He continued talking to Sora as he raced to where the brunet was, following the directions given to him. Roxas remained quiet, letting Sora give Riku directions and any info he needed.

Less than half an hour later, Riku screeched to a halt on the outskirts of the gas station's parking lot, his eyes locking immediately onto Sora, who was heading right for him after recognizing his car. Riku jumped out of his seat, running around the hood and catching a visibly shaking Sora. He wrapped his arms tightly around the smaller boy, his right hand coming up to bury itself in thick brown strands.

"You're ok, I'm here. No one will ever hurt you again," he murmured soothingly, trying to calm the trembling teen. Sora didn't say anything, just continued to cling to Riku. They stood that way for countless minutes before Riku began moving them back towards the front door of his car. He'd feel safer if he had Sora in the car; that way if they needed to, he could get them out of there quickly.

Roxas met his gaze over the roof of the car; he'd simply stood there in silence, watching the close moment between Sora and Riku. "Is he ok?" he asked quietly, and Sora's head popped up in surprise at the sound of his cousin's voice. He hadn't even noticed Roxas was with Riku; so that was the voice he'd heard on the phone with Riku.

Stopping, Riku turned to Roxas. "Do you mind driving? I wanna sit up front with Sora and I can't do that if I have to drive."

Roxas nodded, walking around the car to the driver's side. His surprise was hidden at the request as he'd heard from Sora that Riku didn't let anyone drive his car, ever; he knew the silver-haired teen must have been reluctant to let Sora go for even a second if he was willing to let someone else drive.

Fastening the seat belt, Roxas turned and smiled as Riku settled in the front passenger seat after pushing it all the way back for more room; he cradled Sora between his legs on the seat, his arms wrapped securely around the brunet's waist. Sora leaned back into Riku, anxious to get back home yet oddly worried about Xigbar at the same time. He hoped the man was ok, he did help him escape after all.

Sighing, Sora closed his eyes and relaxed against Riku, blotting all other thought from his mind for the time being.

**x**

Xigbar looked down at his friend, lying so still on the floor. A small puddle of dark red blood was slowly seeping out from underneath the man's body, staining the carpet. He laid down the still-smoking gun on the table by the door, sitting heavily on the couch as he just stared at the now dead body of his best friend.

Why did Xemnas have to come at him with the gun? His eyes had been so crazed, his features so twisted with anger and possessive rage; he was so far gone that Xigbar hadn't recognized him.

_The kid had barely made it to the stairwell before Xemnas had stepped out of the bedroom, his face screwed up in a mask of snarling outrage at the sight of the door open and Sora gone._

_"What the hell did you do? You bring him back here right now!" Xemnas had demanded shrilly, moving to rush past Xigbar to give chase to Sora. _

_But Xigbar didn't move from in front of the door. "Let him go, Xemnas," he said softly. _

_Xemnas snarled at his friend. "Fuck you Xigbar. Sora is mine, he's going with me to Italy. I've already made all the arrangements. You don't want to help me anymore, fine. Then leave. But don't you dare interfere with me."_

_"Damn it Xemnas, just think about this for a minute! You're getting in way over your head over this kid, just let him be." He remained rooted in place, determined not to budge. Agitated, Xemnas stormed off into the bedroom, returning after less than a minute with his gun in hand and pointing it right at Xigbar._

_"What the hell are you doing? Are you gonna kill me, Xem? After all we've been through, all these years, you just gonna turn on me to chase after a kid you're obsessing on?"_

_The sneer on Xemnas' face mixed almost comically with his grimace of rage. "What, were you jealous of me? You want to keep Sora for yourself? I won't let him go, and no one else can ever have him!" His last words ended on a deranged shout as he ran at Xigbar, his mind clouded with fury._

_Dodging the gun, Xigbar grabbed hold of Xemnas' hand holding it and struggled to lower the weapon. Xemnas' grip was strong, his insane ramblings and obsessive behavior over Sora lending him a terrifying strength. It was all Xigbar could do to keep the gun aimed away from his body._

_"Damn it, Xem! Stop this!" He tried to reason with his friend, but the snarl etched on that tanned face and the crazed golden eyes told Xigbar that Xemnas was past all reason. He really meant to kill him. A coldness filled Xigbar at the realization that there was nothing else he could do._

_Using all his strength, Xigbar managed to lower the gun, still clasped firmly in Xemnas' grip. The gun was raised again, now pointed at an angle towards the pale-haired man as Xigbar fought to keep the muzzle facing away from him, when suddenly Xemnas' hand clenched and his finger squeezed the trigger. A shocked look fell over his face as he stopped fighting, then almost in slow motion he released his hold on the gun and fell to the floor._

_"Xem!" Xigbar yelled hoarsely, seeing the red slowly seep out from under Xemnas' prone body. He saw the eyes, still wide open and staring at him, a glazed look now in them. He frantically searched for a pulse, and his heart skipped a beat when he failed to find one. _

The shot had been almost dead center of Xemnas' chest and exiting out his back in a large hole, and Xigbar was pretty certain it had hit either through his heart or right next to it, killing the man almost instantly. He kneeled down beside his friend, sadness and a foreign emotion, grief, radiating through him. There was anger as well, but mostly self-directed. 'If only' scenarios ran through his brain, but logically he knew this most likely wouldn't have turned out any differently. Xemnas had let himself obsess and fixate on Sora too much, and in the end it only consumed him beyond any normal rationality.

Heading into the bedroom and taking the blanket off the bed, Xigbar came back into the room and draped the material over Xemnas' body. He then cleaned out any evidence of himself from the room, making sure to wipe the doorknob and tables clean. With a last look at his friend's body, Xigbar pulled the front door open and exited, again wiping the knob free of any prints. With a heavy sigh he walked slowly down the stairs and out of the building, not looking back once.

**x**

Hours later, after Sora was back home and had been hugged tightly by his father (which was still a bit shocking for him as his father just wasn't an affectionate person) and his aunt and uncle, the brunet was in his living room huddled on the couch as close to Riku as he could get. Riku didn't mind, his right arm wrapped protectively around the teen's shoulders.

Everyone else had followed Max back to his home, the relief all felt at hearing that Sora was safe evident. Max was on the other side of his son, wanting to keep him close. He'd screwed up so much with all the time he'd missed of Sora's life being angry at his ex-wife that he'd nearly lost his son in the process. The close call sent chills down his spine, and he swore to never let anything like that happen again.

Sephiroth and Cloud were seated on the loveseat across from the sofa. Roxas and Axel were standing near the doorway, trying to let the police question Sora and stay out of the way. Angeal was seated in the chair closest to Max, both men prepared to step in for Sora if any of the questions became too hard for him to answer. Quistis was on the arm of the chair, her hand on her husband's shoulder, offering her silent support.

The two officers who'd originally responded to Max's call about Sora missing were now seated in chairs brought in from the kitchen. The younger officer, a brunet with somewhat chilly blue eyes and a stoic demeanor, was asking Sora questions about his whereabouts earlier that day while the older, slightly pudgy cop stood to the side and allowed his partner to do the questioning.

"Do you think you can remember the location of the apartment building Mr. Deveroux took you to?"

Sora shook his head negatively. "I-it was all a blur, I can't really remember anything. I just remember hearing the gun going off and I started running." He shivered, the sound of that shot echoing in his head as he burrowed closer into Riku's side. Riku held him tighter, feeling how tense Sora was. He shot a glare at the officer questioning him but kept silent, knowing they needed to hear Sora's answers.

The officer tried again. "There are about half a dozen apartment buildings within a twelve block radius from where you made your call; can you remember any distinctive features about the one you were taken to? A sign, something in the parking lot maybe, anything?"

Sora shook his head apologetically, hating that he just couldn't remember even a minute detail about the building or its surroundings. He was wracking his brain, trying to picture anything that might help, but he just kept coming up blank.

At a sudden blare from his radio, the older officer excused himself and went into the hallway near the front door to talk to his dispatcher. He was gone for only a minute or less, but he came back with a grim expression. Catching his partner's eye, he motioned for him to follow him out. But everyone could plainly hear his words as he spoke to the other officer just outside the room.

"We got a dead body in an apartment, rundown building in the Twilight section of town; neighbor heard a shot fired about an hour ago and one of the responding units found the body in a third floor apartment. It's the closest apartment building to the phone booth; I think we've got our address." He looked pointedly at Sora, who paled at the news.

Part of Sora was worried that it was Xigbar, but a bigger part of him – that he was almost ashamed of – was hoping it was Xemnas. Sora didn't want to wish death on anyone, but the thought of that maniac still out there, waiting to grab him again, made him feel sick to his stomach. He just wanted everything to be over so he could go back to his life.

The officer studied him for a moment, with what looked almost like pity, before walking back to stand in front of Sora. He felt bad for the kid, but right now he needed Sora to accompany him to hopefully verify if the building and location is the same as where he was taken. And if need be, to identify the body.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters, nor do I make any money off this story.

**AN:** I'm so, sooo sorry for the wait! I just got so hopelessly stuck with it, my ideas for the chapter wouldn't come out right and I ended up re-writing a big portion of it. I can't believe this is the next to final chapter! Seems like it took forever to get to this point, and I'm a bit sad to see the end while happy it's come to a conclusion.

I want to thank (on ffnet) **pearlsXofXsin**, **Peaceful Dragon Rose**, **TheDisillusionedDreamer**, **Cilla**, **Gxmwp**, **Yaoi. Loving. Jew **(your penname keeps disappearing on ffnet, so I had to put spaces between each word), **Segaaa**, **Rose Riku**, **xXJuliets** **SecretXx**, **underhandlilies**, **Misaki Satsuki**, **Rayne Destiny**, **KazumaKyu**, **fire-blossom19**, **ThePurpleOutcast**, **Sephirothlover845** (miss you too!) and **TheSkyAndTheLand'sHeart**, and (on AFF) **Kat the Koneko**, **yaoihentai69**, **KingdomHeartsyaoifrak**, **Talltree-san **and** tobiasrosetta** for your reviews. I never thought I'd ever get so much wonderful and positive feedback for this story, you guys have no idea just how much your comments mean to me. Thank you so very much for that, and I'm glad you enjoyed my story.

_Thanks to Vitty Rose for proofreading this for me! I can't tell you how much that means to me, you've been such a huge help and a great friend. This will technically be the last chapter, but after a suggestion from Vitty I have written a short epilogue chapter to wrap everything up; it will be set a few years into the future, so you can see how things really end up for the boys._

**Chapter 22**

Flashes from dozens of cameras were going off as proud parents and other family members took multiple pictures of the graduating senior class. Sora grinned into his father's own camera, standing just outside the high school auditorium in his cap and gown, holding his diploma high. The gowns were a simple navy blue, with a bit of white on the caps to signify the school's colors. Max couldn't help but laugh slightly as Sora's cap tilted on his head, his tassel falling into his face and making the teen's eyes cross a bit. Roxas, standing next to his cousin for the pictures, laughed softly at Sora's cross-eyed expression.

"Say cheese, grads!" Angeal teased as his wife clicked off another picture, a smile in his voice as he regarded his son and nephew. He, Quistis, and even Zack had made it for the graduation ceremony; Roxas had graduated as well and none of them wanted to miss either boy receiving their diploma.

Sora and Roxas gave big grins into the camera, diplomas showcased in their hands. Sora was practically buzzing from excitement as he thought of his new apartment he'd be moving into with Riku next week. He had been accepted to the local university, and not wanting to go away and leave Sora, Riku had turned down his acceptance to UCLA so he could be with Sora. It didn't really matter to him that much what university he went to; he'd still get his education. And this way he could stay with Sora, which was the most important thing to him.

Roxas had also chosen to stay close to home since he didn't want to leave Axel, who was moving into a small apartment – surprisingly close to Riku and Sora's – with him next week.

"You sure you wanna live with this guy, Rox?" Sora teased his blond cousin, nodding towards Axel as the redhead leaned against the brick wall of the gym.

Roxas just shrugged as he walked to where Axel was. "You know me, can't leave this guy alone; he'd probably burn the whole building down just to see the flames." Axel grinned crookedly at Roxas' comment and snagged an arm around the blonde's waist, pulling him close as Quistis snuck another picture since they were distracted.

Warm arms encircled Sora's waist. Sora leaned back, recognizing the embrace of Riku. He openly invited touch again, his manner once more happy and open. Riku was glad and even relieved to see Sora almost back to his old self. He was still a bit reticent with strangers, a part of him would never be completely at ease due to his trauma, but it was something that he was working through every day.

Sora had grown a bit, his height now at five feet eight inches. Still fairly shorter than Riku's impressive six foot two frame, but he didn't have to crane his neck up as much to look into his boyfriend's face. And he still had another year or two of growing, so he was hopeful he'd get at least another inch or two. He'd put a bit of weight on as well; he was still slender, but it was a healthy look he had now instead of the more sickly thin appearance he'd had over a year ago when he'd all but stopped eating.

He'd gained his tan back as well. He and Riku spent a lot of time at the beach with Kairi; he hadn't realized how much he'd missed his days playing in the water until the other two had all but dragged him back last summer. Now they made sure to go almost every weekend. That was one of the perks of living in a place where even in winter the temperature still remained warm the majority of the time.

Laughing, Sora posed for his dad's camera again, Riku still holding him from behind and both giving wide smiles.

"Ok, I think that's enough pictures for now, that was my second roll," Max said drolly as he tucked his camera into his pocket. Sora just chuckled at his remark, turning to face his aunt who was still snapping photos despite Roxas' whine of there being enough taken. Zack stood a bit away, snickering at his brother and ignoring the blond's glares shot his way.

Searching the crowd of teenagers and their families on the large expanse of grass in front of the school's gymnasium, Sora spotted a familiar redhead not too far away. Elbowing Riku gently to get his attention, he motioned towards Kairi and the two began making their way over to her.

"Hey Kairi!" Sora called, and the girl spun around with a grin.

"Hey guys! Wanna get a picture with me?" she motioned to her mother, standing a few feet away with a camera in hand, her father smiling beside her.

Grabbing Riku's hand and pulling him along, Sora crowded next to Kairi and slung an arm around her shoulders. Riku stood behind, being the tallest of the three, and all three smiled as her mother told them to say 'cheese'.

After the picture, Riku moved to speak with his father and Cloud a moment, leaving Sora and Kairi alone. Kairi grabbed the brunet's hand and pulled him after her to a more private spot so she could talk to him. They ended up by her parents' car at the front of the parking lot, and luckily only a few people were near but not close enough to overhear their conversation.

"So? Is everything set up for tonight?" Kairi questioned anxiously. She had a happy grin on her face, all but bouncing in place at the idea of the romantic evening Sora had planned for Riku.

Sora nodded. "Dad's leaving on a business trip later this afternoon, so I want to get Riku over as soon as he's gone." Though he knew his dad liked Riku, he didn't think he'd be too keen on the idea of his son seducing his boyfriend in his house or even want to know that Sora planned it in the first place.

Kairi cooed at him, her eyes a bit glassy as she thought of the two boys having a passionate evening together. Sora just laughed a bit. "Earth to Kairi," he teased, chuckling as she snapped out of her daze. She blushed a little, then grinned widely.

"Ok!" she went right to serious mode, "So are you going to ask him or sort of lure him over and then surprise him with it?"

"Well, I thought maybe I'd just ask him and see his reaction. I mean, what if I surprise him and he freaks out or doesn't want to b-be with me?" Sora stuttered slightly at the last in nervousness.

"Are you kidding? He'll probably pounce on you the second you're inside the house!" Kairi's eyes glazed over a bit again at the mental image.

White teeth worried at a lush lower lip as Sora pondered exactly how to put his plan into motion.

"It'll be ok Sora. Any way you decide to do it, I'm sure Riku will be more than happy with your little seduction planned."

Sora nodded in agreement. He'd thought at first of choosing a motel or something like that when he first came up with the idea, but in the end he'd decided with his bedroom as he knew he'd be alone in the house, and to be honest he wanted his first time with Riku in a place they both knew and not somewhere strange. He really wanted his first time with Riku in their new apartment, but he didn't want to wait until next week when they moved in. He'd waited two years already, he was impatient now to be with the man he loves.

Looking around for Sora, Riku finally caught sight of him and Kairi in the parking lot, heads close together in a conspiratorial pose. His mouth crooked up, wondering what it was they were cooking up. Excusing himself, he left his father and Cloud with his younger siblings and began making his way to his boyfriend and best friend.

As he walked, Riku thought of that day over a year ago as he stood with Sora outside a rundown apartment building. Both he and Max had not been happy that the brunet had been made to go back there after his ordeal, but he'd been with him the whole time and let him know he was not alone. He couldn't help but marvel at the difference in Sora now as he thought about that day.

_He'd ended up riding in the police cruiser with the two officers to the apartment building where the man's body had been found. Riku had ridden with him, determined not to let Sora out of his sight or go alone. Max had been the same, driving his car behind with his brother and sister-in-law inside with him. Axel had taken Roxas back to the blond's house at his mother's insistence, where they waited for his parents to return._

_As they'd pulled up in the parking lot, Sora had begun shaking. The lot with its worn pavement and few old cars had been recognizable to the teen, and he remembered being dragged behind Xemnas into the worn-down building. Riku noticed how Sora was trembling and glared at the younger officer when he came to a stop and turned to face them in the backseat._

"_He's not going in there!" Riku's tone was fierce as he snarled at the cop, aqua eyes clashing with smoky blue. _

_Said man sighed. "Look kid, he might need to identify the body. I'm not crazy about sending him in there either, but at this point it can't really be helped."_

"_Then have them bring the body down. He can make an ID when the body is being put into the ambulance, right?" The officer sighed in annoyance and nodded, deciding not to argue anymore with the pale-haired teen and stepped out of the car, mumbling about stubborn teenagers._

_Sora had been a shaking mess when the paramedics had wheeled out a stretcher carrying a black body bag. He'd had a bone-crushing grip on Riku's hand as the younger officer who'd driven the squad car he'd been in stopped the paramedics so he could view the body; he gave a halting glance to the brunet before unzipping the bag slowly and revealing only the face of the man on the stretcher. Squeezing the hand in his hard, Sora shuffled forward and made himself look at the pallid face the officer had uncovered. He turned white as a sheet and quickly looked away, mumbling only, "That's him, th-that's Xemnas," before turning and burrowing into Riku's embrace as he fought to breathe normally._

_The officer nodded silently at Riku as he zipped the bag back up and signaled to the paramedics to continue on their way to the ambulance. Max had arrived by then and strode up to the teens, his jaw rigid as he passed the body bag. _

"_Are we done here? My son has been through enough for one day," Max snapped, his anger and displeasure evident in his voice and pinched features._

"_You can take them home now, we just need your son to come down to the station to give his full statement later." Looking at the still-shaking boy, the officer gave a slightly sorrowful shake of his head before going to his cruiser. He talked quietly with his partner as he watched the two teens loaded into Max's car; he gave a last glance to the vehicle before it quickly drove away._

"_I hope he'll be alright, his dad looked like he wanted to tear someone apart." The older man was momentarily shocked at his partner's actual concern over someone._

"_Wouldn't you if that were your kid?" his older partner remarked, "I'd be wanting to hurt someone too. Didn't help that you were being your normal cold, asshole self, Leonhart. You really know how to antagonize people; one would think you'd perfected it."_

_Squall scowled at the other officer's use of his last name. "Whatever, Ward. We should get back, there's a ton of paperwork just waiting to be filed before you can go drinking with my old man and Kiros." The two men climbed into the cruiser, Squall heading back in the direction of the police station._

That had been just over a year ago, almost to the day actually. Sora had come a long way from that point. He was more open, so close to what he'd been like before Riku had ended their friendship three years prior. And after Xemnas was gone, Riku had observed how much more relaxed he'd become since he no longer had to look constantly over his shoulder.

Even after questioning Sora and having a sketch artist do a rendering of Xigbar's face, there was no trace of the man. It was like he'd disappeared into thin air. The police had been frustrated by the lack of success on his whereabouts, but Sora had confided to Riku he was glad that he'd gotten away; didn't matter to Sora that he was wanted for Xemnas' murder. If it weren't for him he'd be a virtual prisoner somewhere, alone with a sick madman who had been obsessed with him. So to Sora, he owed the man a huge debt of gratitude.

The start of their senior school year had been a good one, the first in a long time. Sora was no longer bullied or pushed around, and he and Riku had officially become an out and established couple. There were a few students who had shown disgust or scorn for the two, but it had settled quickly after Riku made it known to everyone that he'd personally deal with whoever had a problem.

Surprisingly enough Demyx wasn't one of the people who gave them a hard time. Tidus had confided to Kairi, Riku and Sora that his twin had had a falling out with Saix earlier that summer; he didn't know what the details were exactly, but Demyx had stopped hanging around him and had actually been nicer to his brother. Demyx didn't go out of his way to be nice to Riku or Sora, but he didn't make barbed comments or say anything nasty to them anymore. Riku wasn't sorry for it either; he knew how much it pained Tidus to be constantly at odds with his own twin and was glad that it had worked out better.

Snapping out of his memories at the sound of Sora's laugh, Riku couldn't help smiling at him. He and Kairi were still talking closely, Kairi's giggles reaching his ears as he got nearer the duo.

"And what is so funny?" he quipped over Sora's shoulder, causing the brunet to jump slightly in surprise. He laughed as Sora pouted at him and mock-hit his arm.

"Don't sneak up on me!" Sora gazed up, but his pout melted into a wide grin as he met Riku's aquamarine eyes. Kairi watched them with a smile on her face as well.

"You guys are just so cute together!" she squealed. "You really need to let me get a picture of you two kissing! And Sora, you promised I could have a pic for my Facebook album; all my online friends are dying to see yo-"

"Kairi."

The redhead blinked at Riku questioningly as she was interrupted. "Yeah Riku?"

"Your fangirl side is showing."

Kairi blushed, then chuckled; Riku had labeled her 'fangirl' when she'd begun to get overly enthusiastic about him and Sora together, and he used the term every time she started babbling excitedly about them. "Well I can't help it! You two are sooo adorable."

Scowling, Riku brought Sora close to his side possessively (a gesture that Kairi observed with a glint in her eye) and growled out, "We are not adorable! We're guys, Kairi. Guys aren't adorable, they're handsome or some other manly word." He shook his head at his friend while Sora just laughed.

Clearing his throat, Sora gave a meaningful look to Kairi. She nodded.

"So I'm gonna go find my parents, we're supposed to go to lunch together. I'll see you guys later!" With a cheerful wave, the young woman was gone.

Riku noticed that Sora appeared slightly nervous now that they were alone for the moment. He watched in amusement as Sora seemed ready to say something but blushed cutely and looked down. He waited patiently, knowing if Sora had something to tell him he'd spit it out eventually.

Finally gathering his courage, Sora glanced around to make sure no one else was near them before speaking. Clearing his throat, he looked up at Riku and seeing the smile on the pale-haired man's face, he gave a small smile back and began.

"So, um… I-I was wondering if you wanted to stay over tonight," he quickly gazed at Riku before continuing. "My dad is going out of town on business, and we'd have the house to ourselves…" Sora trailed off, his face bright red by that point. He hoped Riku got the message; he was anxious enough having to ask, and now he was biting his bottom lip as he waited for Riku's reaction and answer.

Realizing exactly what Sora was asking, Riku had to refrain from snatching his boyfriend and taking off with him. His brain was on overload at the moment; they had waited so long to be intimate because Sora was just never ready, and the thought of pushing him into it was the absolute last thing Riku would ever do. But he wouldn't deny he'd been fantasizing about being with Sora in every way, so at the brunet's suggestion his hormones went a bit wild. He was suddenly glad to be wearing his graduation gown; it hid his now very hard erection.

Gulping a little, Riku waited a few moments before giving Sora his answer. "Yes, I want to be with you more than anything, but are you sure about this?"

Sora gave him a blinding smile in relief. He'd never tell Riku how nervous he'd been as he planned that night, or that he'd worried Riku would turn him down. And he'd certainly never tell his boyfriend of the mortifying experience he'd had getting a bottle of lube and some condoms. Kairi had been with him yesterday when he'd gone to the drugstore to pick up some items for their date, and seeing how jittery Sora was acting, had promptly walked to the aisle with all the different types of lubrication and body oils for sex, picked one up, grabbed a box of Trojans and marched to the cashier to pay for the items, dragging a thoroughly embarrassed Sora behind her. The brunet had practically run out of the store when the female clerk gave a knowing leer at the two of them. Kairi had found it humorous, and Sora had vowed to never go shopping with her again.

"My dad leaves this afternoon; we'll be all alone for the whole weekend. No one will disturb us. I'm ready to be with you in every way." He searched Riku's features, his mind easing a bit as Riku smiled and cupped his face in one palm, giving him a sweet kiss that lasted only a few seconds.

"Come on, we'd better get back before my dad sends out a search party to hunt us down," Riku clasped Sora's hand and both began heading back to meet up with their families.

**x**

A little after five that afternoon, Sora unlocked the front door to his house with Riku following behind him. His father had just left for the airport to catch his flight, so the two were now alone in the large house. They had taken off their caps and gowns before going to lunch; the articles of clothing were tossed onto the couch as they walked by. Riku's father had taken his diploma home for him, and Sora laid his down on the coffee table so it wouldn't be wrinkled.

Sora led Riku up to his bedroom, his stomach fluttering with what felt like thousands of butterflies. He was extremely nervous, and wanted everything to be perfect. He'd cleaned his room the day earlier, making sure to wash all the sheets and his comforter. He'd been planning this for several weeks, and he didn't want anything to go wrong.

Closing the bedroom door, Sora toed his shoes off and set them by the door, his feet clad only in a pair of socks. Riku followed suit, the carpet thick and soft under his thinly clothed feet. He drew the shorter teen close, tilting his head up and slowly sealing his lips over Sora's. Sora raised his arms to encircle Riku's neck, his fingers playing with cool silver strands as they both enjoyed the simple contact.

Breaking the kiss after only a few short moments, Riku sat down on the edge of Sora's bed and pulled Sora close so the brunet was standing between his legs, looking down on him. Riku cupped Sora's cheeks lovingly, holding the other boy's face gently as he gazed deeply into Sora's blue eyes.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, his thumb slowly moving to trace the slight dip in the center of Sora's top lip. Sora smiled and nodded his assent, his hands now resting just under Riku's throat where his skin was bared above his white button-up shirt.

Feeling the slender fingers exploring his skin, Riku closed his eyes briefly before opening them and watching Sora's wondering expression. He sat there, not moving, allowing Sora free reign to touch wherever and whatever he wanted.

Sora watched as his own fingers traced over the patch of exposed, smooth skin on Riku's upper chest. The skin was so warm to the touch, and he loved the feel of it under his fingertips. Without really thinking about what he was doing, he slowly went to the first button on Riku's shirt and began undoing them, one by one, until the material was hanging half off the pale torso.

Still staring up at Sora, Riku shrugged the shirt off his shoulders and dropped it onto the floor. Sora shifted his stance, moving closer to the heat of Riku's body as he stood between the seated man's limbs. Wrapping his arms around Sora's back, Riku hauled him forward and lifted Sora up until the smaller male straddled his lap. Sora blinked for a moment, leaning back and taking stock of their new position.

Riku was happy to notice that although Sora was surprised at his new location on Riku's lap, he didn't look scared or upset. Those blue eyes he loved so much were focused on the smooth skin of his upper chest, his tanned hand caressing the muscled pecs softly. Riku's breath sucked in at the touch. He reached a hand behind the chocolate-hued spikes and sifted the silken strands between his fingers as Sora's stroking became bolder.

Sora wriggled a bit, causing his groin to brush Riku's own and making his cock come to attention. Riku's hands automatically moved to Sora's upper back to steady him as the shock from the connection caused Sora to pitch backwards a bit. Sora's own hands shot up to Riku's shoulders in reflex.

"Careful," Riku whispered teasingly. He thought he was pretty good at hiding just how affected that one accidental grind had made him. Sora pouted cutely as he met amused aquamarine eyes that were now darkened with hot desire.

Growing serious, Riku stared at Sora's parted lips before drawing the brunet close and claiming that mouth again. His hands stroked softly up and down the smooth expanse of Sora's back, causing goosebumps to rise along Sora's arms. Riku was determined to take this slow, make it as loving and gentle as he could; in his mind it would essentially be Sora's first time as what that monster had done to him wasn't consensual.

Riku's mouth slanted across Sora's, finding the perfect angle as Sora met his eagerly and opened his lips slightly in invitation. Riku dove in at once, his tongue sweeping inside the hot cavern and meeting Sora's. Sora moaned into the kiss as he began sucking on the appendage, his own coming to meet it in soft brushes. He was so distracted he almost didn't feel Riku's fingers travel around to his front and unbutton his pants then pull the zipper down slowly. He didn't try to stop Riku, instead raising his lower half a bit so Riku could push the pants along with his underwear down his thighs. Their mouths stayed connected even as Sora blushed hotly at being exposed.

****Scene has been removed for content, to read the unedited version go to my account on either AFF or fictionesque. The links are (ignore the spaces): games. adultfanfiction story. php?no=600084306&chapter=22. For fictionesque: www. fictionesque fic/2230/Finding_Lost_Dreams/chapter:22.****

After both men were cleaned off, Riku pushed the comforter down to the end of the bed and cuddled Sora close to him, drawing the sheet over their nakedness. Just before dozing off, Sora kissed Riku softly on the lips, thinking of the whole day they'd have to themselves and smiling sappily at the thought of their future together.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters, nor do I make any money off this story.

**AN:** So here is the final chapter! Gotta warn you though, it's so fluffy and sappy I almost can't believe I wrote it (I'm more an angst fan now). Thank you to everyone who reviewed, alerted and favorited my story, your comments meant the world to me.

**Epilogue**

_~4 Years Later~_

Sora unlocked the front door of his and Riku's house. The couple had moved in not quite six months ago, upgrading to a larger space with an extra bedroom and bigger kitchen. It wasn't a very big or flashy house, but Sora was proud of it. With him working as a veterinary assistant at the town's largest animal clinic while going to college during the evenings to complete his Bachelor's Degree and Riku having taken a job as a bartender at a local night club while going to school during the day, they could afford the higher mortgage payments every month.

Dropping his keys in the glass dish on the table beside the door, Sora set his bookbag down and toed his sneakers off after shutting the door. As soon as it clicked closed their dog Simba, a Golden Retriever/yellow Lab mix, came bounding from the kitchen straight for him. They'd gotten him as a puppy when he was brought in to the clinic as a stray; Sora had instantly fallen in love with the fuzzy puppy and taken him home. Riku wasn't so sure about having a pet at first, but Sora pulled his own 'puppy eyes' on him and he'd relented. Sora had been the one to name the dog; he'd always loved the movie 'The Lion King', and as Simba's fur was almost the same light gold color as the lion Simba's in the movie, Sora had suggested it. Riku had merely snorted in amusement and agreed on the name.

"Hey buddy! Glad to see you too," Sora laughed as the one year old dog jumped up on him, his fluffy tail wagging enthusiastically while his long tongue lolled out the side of his mouth.

"Riku?" he called, only to be answered with silence. _Huh, must still be at work._ Shrugging to himself, Sora wandered to the phone to check the answering machine for messages. That didn't take long, there were only three messages on it. He skipped the first one; only an annoying call from a telemarketer. The next was from his dad, reminding him of the dinner he and Riku were to attend Friday evening.

The last message was from Riku. _"Sorry babe, gotta work late tonight. I'll be home around eleven or so. Love ya, bye."_ Sora smiled as he listened; he could hear the loud music from the club in the background and voices blending together. The place sounded like it was bouncing, Riku probably having to stay late due to the large crowd.

Heading into the kitchen, Sora took out a bowl of leftover chili and heated it in the microwave. Simba was following close behind, his cold nose nuzzling into Sora's knee. Seeing the food dish was empty, he went to refill it with kibble. While Simba was chomping away at his food, Sora sat at the small center island and waited for his own food to heat up.

He wondered what was so important that his dad needed to remind him about Friday. It had to be big news or else he wouldn't call three days in a row to tell him over and over again to show up. The ding of the microwave jolted him from his thoughts, and getting up he walked to the counter and pulled his dinner out of the appliance. It was only a little past seven p.m., he had not quite four hours until Riku came home.

After finishing eating, he rinsed the bowl out and set it in the dishwasher, then went into the living room. Curling up on the couch, he turned the television on and began flipping through channels, Simba joining him. He found a station and left it there, the volume on low as he wasn't really paying attention. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, his eyes slowly slipping closed (he'd been up since 5:45 that morning as he had to be at work by 6:30), and the next thing he knew he was jerking up as the front door closed softly. Glancing at the clock, he noticed it was about a quarter to midnight.

Riku nudged his shoes off by the door, taking his jacket off and hanging it in the hall closet. He walked over to Sora; he could tell the brunet had just woken up. Riku loved the sleepy, doe-eyed look on Sora's face, his hair mussed from laying his head on the arm of the couch. Leaning down, he gave the smaller man a light kiss and sat beside him on the sofa.

"Sorry for being so late. One of the new guys didn't show up, so I had to stay to cover part of his shift until Wakka could come in; Lulu's gonna be pissed that he had to come in on his night off." Wakka and Lulu had moved in a year ago; Riku had no idea how the two of them, who were complete opposites, managed to stay together so long, especially with Lulu's temper.

Sora nodded tiredly. "S'ok. Have you eaten?" He cuddled up to Riku, the pale-haired man's body heat drawing him closer. It was a bit chilly in the room, the air conditioning vent right above and blowing cold air directly on him.

"I ate earlier. Come on, let's get to bed." Standing, Riku steered Sora towards their bedroom. The short walk down the hallway past the kitchen proved almost too far for Sora as he stumbled a bit, half-asleep as he trailed behind Riku.

Sitting Sora down on the bed, Riku slipped Sora's pants and shirt off before removing his own. Pulling the covers back, he drew Sora with him and both climbed under the comforter. Sora snuggled onto Riku's chest, his favorite position for sleeping.

Just before falling asleep, Sora mumbled, "My dad called again to remind us to show up for dinner Friday. He's getting antsy about it, must be something big." Yawning, Sora settled his head down on Riku's shoulder, missing the sly smirk on Riku's face in the semi-darkness.

**x**

Pulling up in front of his father's large house, Sora wondered for the umpteenth time what his father was so anxious about for their visit. Riku had been acting weird the last few days as well, seeming to be jumpy and nervous about something. He vowed to find out what was going on with his boyfriend before the weekend was over.

Noticing the other cars in the driveway, Sora glanced over at Riku. "Isn't that your dad's car? And that's Axel's bike; Roxas is here too. I wonder what they're all doing here," he mused. Riku didn't answer, just smiled at Sora before opening his car door and stepping out. Sora followed suit, both men walking up to the front door.

Stepping into the foyer, they saw their collective families gathered in the living room. Cloud was standing beside Sephiroth; the two had married a few years ago, and Cloud had proudly taken Sephiroth's last name as his own, so he was now Cloud Strife-Reardon. The kids had been thrilled, Fuu seemingly the most. She'd actually squealed when told the news, and had gotten so excited when told she could be a bridesmaid.

To Riku's surprise his younger brother Zexion had taken that opportunity to introduce his best friend Marluxia as his boyfriend. The small pink-haired boy had been his date to the wedding, and the two were rarely inseparable these days. Fuu had brought her own boyfriend, a tough-looking blond named Seifer. His green eyes were almost cold to everyone he looked at except when they gazed at Fuu. Yeah, Riku and Zex needed to have a 'chat' with him to set some ground rules for him concerning their baby sister…

Unknowing of his boyfriend's thoughts, Sora caught sight of his cousins and aunt and uncle, along with Roxas' live-in boyfriend. As usual Axel was hard-pressed to keep his hands off Roxas; the blond was constantly slapping his wandering hands away. Axel just grinned and continued his light fondling. Roxas hissed and stomped off to the other end of the couch where they were sitting, drawing his parents' attention to him. Sora giggled at them, earning a glare from his cousin.

"Sora, sweetheart, come help me and Fuu in the kitchen for a moment will you?" his aunt Quistis asked from the kitchen doorway. He left Riku with his family to join his aunt, leaving the other men alone in the room. Once Sora was out of earshot, the males gathered around Riku to take a peek at the small box he pulled out of his pants' pocket.

Opening the small box, Riku revealed a gold band with a thin row of round blue tourmaline_**(1)**_ set in the middle. The color of the stones matched Sora's eyes perfectly. When Riku had first seen the ring, he'd automatically thought of Sora's eyes. He'd wanted diamonds originally, but when he saw this particular ring he just knew it was the right one.

"Nice ring, Riku. So you gonna pop the question before or after dinner?" Axel quipped.

"Shut up! Quit being a jerk." Roxas hit the redhead upside the head. Axel pouted cutely, holding his head in mock-pain. Roxas ignored him and gathered around Riku with his father and uncle. Zack was laughing at Axel's expression from his place beside his father. Zexion just gave the redhead a blank stare before glancing down at the ring his brother had bought.

Max and Angeal looked the ring over with critical eyes. Angeal smiled at a very nervous Riku, and Max finally nodded in approval. Riku seemed to exhale loudly in relief, shutting the box and tucking it back into his pocket.

What Sora didn't know was that Max had arranged a dinner, per Riku's request, for Riku to propose to his boyfriend. They'd been together for over five years now, living together for four, and Riku wanted to take the next step. And since gay marriage was now legal in California he could marry the brunet.

Riku had another surprise for him. He'd gotten a job at the same law firm Max worked at. The older man had put in a good word for him, and he'd gotten hired on as a paralegal. The job experience would look good on a resume, and it would help when he got into law school next year. That meant he could quit bartending, which also meant no more late nights and being away from Sora. He was excited about it, and couldn't wait to tell Sora the news.

Quistis called them into the dining room, announcing dinner was ready. Riku felt his nerves jump in anticipation as he walked into the elegant dining room and took a seat beside Sora. Sora gave him a questioning look, but Riku simply smiled and took his hand under the table.

The conversation was light as the meal progressed. Riku was so edgy throughout it that he didn't eat much, and Sora wondered if something was wrong. He got worried when the bantering around him stopped as Riku pushed his chair back and kneeled down beside him. Sora was uncomprehending at first, but when he saw the wide grins on the faces around him and watched Riku remove a jeweler's box from his pocket a look of surprise flitted across his features. His breath caught in his throat as Riku took his hand again and began speaking softly.

"Sora, we've been together for so long, and I love you more than I thought possible. Would you do me the honor of marrying me?"

Tears welled up in Sora's eyes before he launched himself at Riku, wrapping his arms around the other man's neck with a huge grin.

"I take it that's a yes?" Riku queried teasingly. Sora chuckled and drew back, getting his first good look at the ring as Riku took it out of its box and slid it on his finger. He admired how the stones sparkled in the light, turning his hand this way and that to get better angles of it. A bright flash startled him, and he glanced up to see his aunt with her camera. Sora smiled widely at the camera, holding his hand up so she could get a good picture of the ring. Riku pulled his chair close to the brunet's so they were side-by-side, his arms around Sora's waist, holding him tightly.

As the excited chatter sounded around them, Sora leaned back into Riku's embrace.

"You know Kairi's wanting a double wedding with us. She went crazy when I told her about proposing to you." She and Tidus were also engaged; their wedding was only two months away.

"Kairi knows already?" Sora sulked a little. He hated being the last to know something, no matter what it was.

"Who do you think was with me when I chose the ring?" Kairi had refused to let him go alone, worried that the silver-haired man would pick some plain little band or something gaudy. But she loved the ring he'd chosen. She'd wanted to be there when Riku proposed but she had to work; she was a tech at the nearby hospital. She was also going to nursing school, working to become an RN.

Sora smiled, his slight irritation gone as he again gazed down at his ring. With his family surrounding him and the love of his life holding him, he felt full of contentment and happiness. He turned his head and kissed Riku lovingly, his heart close to bursting with love for the man he'd soon call his husband. With a grin he pulled back and relaxed against Riku; he didn't think life could get any better.

_**~End~**_

_**1**__ – I changed the stones from zircons to tourmaline; a reviewer pointed out that Sora's eyes were more sapphire in color and thinking back on it I realized the reviewer was right. So deciding on stones I wanted to use I picked tourmaline; sapphires are used commonly in a lot of stories I read for both KH and Naruto in engagement rings, and blue tourmaline is similar in color to a sapphire (the dark blue tourmaline, not Paraiba as that is an aqua color) yet I've never seen it used for a story, so I thought it fit nicely. _


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